


Sara Lance and Nyssa Al Ghul story in the League of assassins 2 - Sara Lance origin story 2

by saracanarythebest



Series: Sara Lance and Nyssa Al Ghul origin story [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Sara Lance Fandom
Genre: Black Canary - Freeform, F/F, League of Assassins Sara Lance, Nyssara, Past Nyssa al Ghul/Sara Lance, Sara Lance - Freeform, Sara Lance and Nyssa Al Ghul, Sara and Nyssa Arrow, The League of Assassins (DCU), Young Sara Lance, nyssa al ghul - Freeform, white canary - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 11:57:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 34,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19393654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saracanarythebest/pseuds/saracanarythebest
Summary: This is a story of Sara Lance origin story as the Canary and her past in the League of assassins and her relationship with Nyssa. It's continuation of my previous work, it starts with Sara already in the League and how she becomes a leader and proves herself as a good warrior.Sara Lance origin story part1





	1. Chapter 1

A year and something has passed since Sara Lance has become a part of Nyssa Al Ghul’s life and changed it a lot. Nyssa never anticipated that this journey in the north China sea will bring her something let alone a person in her life who will influence it that much. She has lived in the League most of her conscious life and she didn’t know anything else except their laws and rules. She was trained at the art of fight, stealth, and assassination from very early on and she didn’t had the same moral compass as most people in the ordinary world had. She didn’t felt empathy or sympathy for people in the same way and death was something normal. People get born and die in the same way as animals does and if animals hunt others we do it too but there is no place for every person on this planet. Today’s modern world has changed a lot since her father became Ra’s and when he was young human life was not so valuable like today and not everybody could survive. Five hundred years ago people were dying from a lot of things: hunger, diseases, wars, during birth and the duration of human life was shorter. People obeyed more the laws of the nature and the strongest survived and ruled, they weren’t so much educated and interested in the things around. Religion ruled, ignorance and money and power as always. Nyssa was educated by the same perspective and raised as a leader. Sure one of the good qualities of her father was that he acknowledged that her gender wouldn’t be a circumstance that will prevent her of being a great leader and a warrior and that everyone is equal in the face of the League rules and practices, the education makes a good fighter from the strongest and the will to survive and endure pain is one of the strongest points, something that women has a lot as qualities. Sara also proved that since when Nyssa brought her she was a big wreck and didn’t had training at all but had a big will and already the darkness needed to adapt in the League. She has changed a lot since she first joined the League but Nyssa has changed a lot herself too and started to see things not so black and white like she used to.

  
Nyssa was standing on the balcony of her room breathing fresh air from the mountains and feeling really worried about her lover. Sara has been to couple of mission so far, successful but she has failed her last one. Her role was to extract an important information from a prisoner but he managed to deceive her. Nyssa remembered that Sara used once something called the truth serum but probably at that specific moment she didn’t had the ingredients and couldn’t use it so the man gave her a false information and the mission went badly. Sara was put through the punishment worse than death or that’s how the members here called it: mental and physical torture for days, she survived that but was in a very bad condition and now Ra’s wanted to teach her the art of torture so she won’t fail again. Nyssa suggested that she can teach her but Ra’s insisted that he has to be the one. Something about Sara has made him impression too and he wanted to be her mentor in some circumstances. Nyssa was afraid that Sara won’t respond to this ok. She was looking at the mountain ridge without seeing it and thinking what might happen. There was a knock on the door and two league member came in, Bantira and Chinese man.

  
\- This is Maseo Yamashiro, my new student - Bantira said – I am here for more information on the mission this month and whether I can take him after he takes his League name and ceremony  
\- I haven’t said that you can disturb me in my private chamber for such matters – Nyssa sounded cold  
\- You are worried about Ta-er al-Sahfer? – Bantira asked and Nyssa looked at her with even more angry eyes with disapproval – Don’t worry, everyone already knows about you too after that incident the second time you were in Paris. – Nyssa sighted and looked down.  
\- I’m not in the mood now. Leave – she demanded.  
Bantira and Maseo left the room but the man continued the conversation.  
\- So what happened in Paris?  
\- Ta-er al-Sahfer was following a fugitive up the Eiffel tower climbing the metal bars and Nyssa was after her. At the top they pushed the men thus causing his death but then made love on top of the tower as a triumph or just for the romance I don’t know. A local newspaper wrote that in the morning after about 2 women making love on top of the tower at night completely ignoring the death incident. I guess French care a lot about love. So for the League it wasn’t a much brainer to figure out who the two women were.

  
\- No one got angry about that?  
\- The mission was successful and this was looked at some funny incident. It is not a secret that Nyssa Al Ghul is a lesbian. Relationships among the members are not looked at well here, but there is always an exception, I guess for now Ra’s is tolerating it.  
Three months ago Maseo has knocked on the door of the League completely ignorant what exactly it means to be part of them. He knew a man during his work for Argus who has told him about rumors about an ancient organization who lives in the mountains which existed for decades and controlled the world balance of power. Maseo knew he wanted to be part of them and completely escape his old life, start new but still have a purpose. He found this man and through old folk tales and requiring some information from locals in China he started his journey to find them. After all he was an Argus agent and knew how to gather intel. When he reached the destination he didn’t expected this vast castle in the middle of nowhere carved in the stone ridge. The guards arrested him first and put him in jail, after a serious of torture and brainwashing with mushrooms they found out that Maseo is not a spy but he really wants to join them. He was still young at his experience here and he still didn’t know what is acceptable and what not but he was adapting fast.


	2. Chapter 2

Sara was standing in front of a tied to the ceiling man feeling very weak and in a dark place. She has spent days in a cage with only mushrooms and tortures where she’s had a lot of bad hallucinations which were still in her mind and she was trying to shake them off. The world was a scary place, she has seen a lot of bad stuff already, but people’s imagination even more and now she blamed the stupid tv and movies she watched as youngster. Ra’s appeared behind her and gave her a knife.

  
\- You see this man, Ta-er al-Sahfer? This is the men who tortured you in your dreams. He is the one who made you suffer – Sara looked at him and then the tied man with anger and aggressiveness. - Now you can take it back on him. Everything he caused you.  
Sara lashed the knife at him and cut his skin. He screamed and she did it again and again in even more anger, while the man was bleeding from a lot of wounds on his skin. She calmed down and looked at her bloody hands as if they were the hands of someone else and not hers. Ra’s didn’t let her go to her room but left her still in the prison. In the next day he brought her again to the prisoner.

  
\- This is the art of torture for days, you have to master it. Today you won’t focus on the anger of this man torturing you, but on the anger of this man torturing other people, kids. – Sara looked at her master with disbelieve but took the knife again and cut the man’s skin this time deeper.  
On the third day Ra’s told her that she has to torture him just because he is against her master and he deserves that. After couple of days Sara started to get inventive to what to do to him and the man in front of her while still alive stopped looking like a man at all. She didn’t needed to imagine the pain he was in, she experienced similar things and new that after a while you get used to it. At first she was trying to imagine all sort of bad stuff for him but after a while it didn’t matter, he was just a piece of meat who was barely breathing, she became completely numb to people’s pain and managed to find an escape in her mind. She wanted to believe that she was doing this because he deserved it and that he did bad things but deep inside her she knew that she knows nothing about this man. He can be just some uncomfortable victim of the League or a member who didn’t obeyed. Some weeks ago she was on his place, hanging from the ceiling tied on her hands, half naked while someone was cutting her skin deep enough to bleed but extremely painful, no food, no water, no still with her own blood on her hair she was doing the same to someone else. And the devil himself was holding her hand and showing her how to do it.  
When this education was finally over she was allowed to go to her room and have a private bath. She stripped naked and relaxed in the tub. When she closed her eyes she could see only blood and screams and horror but this time she couldn’t identify whether this was her memories from her tortures or her torturing. She tried not to think about that and to chase away the image but it wasn’t easy. She noticed a nice touch on her leg and opened her eyes but slowly, trusting that the person who invaded her room doesn’t mean her harm. It was Nyssa. She took her clothes off and entered the bath opposite of Sara.

  
\- When I was kid I had this way of chasing away bad dreams by trying to imagine flowers and fields of flowers. It doesn’t work anymore, I can’t imagine anything anymore, I forgot how beauty looks like – Sara caressed Nyssa’s hair tenderly and smiled – Except when I look at you. I thought you are so beautiful from the moment I saw you, but not only because of your features but because of how strong you looked. – Nyssa smiled tenderly too and took Sara’s hand.

  
\- I will teach you to escape again. Don’t worry everything is a practice – Sara was looking at her with her deep blue eyes and trying to devour every feature of her.

  
\- I don’t know what was worse: torturing the man because I was influence to believe that he did me harm or torturing him just because. I’m becoming a monster that I can’t recognize, I even used methods that dr Ivo thought me and I kind of felt proud of myself.

  
\- Remember when you told me that you will never lose your humanity

  
\- I think I am starting to do that. Killing someone is one thing, torture for days is completely another level. – Nyssa sighted and looked down, Sara caressed her hair again

  
\- I was 16 when I tortured my first victim. I still remember his face, the grimaces he was making and the way he smelled. My father was behind me and encouraging me and at the end he awarded me. I still do that without thinking and my reward is the information I receive and the successful mission.

  
\- I don’t judge you Nyssa, I see you as who you are, you’ve done a lot of good things in your life too and saved a lot of people and animals. I’m judging myself.

  
\- For your weakness of not being able to accept torture as normal or for your weakness of accepting torture as normal – Sara laughed – Come on, you need a good sleep, you’ve been through so much these days you have to recover. – Nyssa got up and hold her a towel, wrapped her up and tucked her in bed.

  
In the night Sara dreamt her father, he was tied at the ceiling in the League prison and she was torturing him. She was trying to see his face but she couldn’t, she couldn’t remember it, but she was hearing his voice, telling her not to do it, to stop it, and she was trembling every time she was hearing it but she couldn’t stop herself, some invisible force was making her lash the knife in her hand at his skin and cut him.


	3. Chapter 3

Sara entered the training chamber and nodded at Bantira. She left her students to train alone and went to greet Sara. Couple of new recruits were fighting with swords in the heavy league attire, while some of them were obviously struggling, the others looked well enough.  
\- I heard you had a bad month – Bantira took Sara’s hand  
\- Well I got over it. There is a new mission coming and I’ll make sure to be prepared  
\- I though you should meet my new student. His name is Maseo, he comes from Hong Kong and has some interesting story, he joined the League voluntarily.  
\- Oh, so another sappy story, no thank you, I’m over that.  
\- Listen you saved me in Paris, you are making Nyssa even a better leader, one who doesn’t abandon her own and there are a lot of people here who think you have a big perspective, a career in the league, to be a leader yourself. But there are still things that hold you back. That prevent you from growing.  
\- I appreciate your opinion. I do. But I think I can be a great leader without falling into the stereotype of how the perfect League member is.  
\- Fine, will you come to Maseo ceremony at least.  
\- Sure – Sara nodded and left the room. She saw Nyssa coming in, greeted her but didn’t stopped. She had her own obligations in the class of Russian language and shouldn’t be late. She was taking these classes for couple of months now.  
\- I checked his file – Nyssa said to Bantira – he was part of American spying organization in Hong Kong called Argus  
\- They were more than spies. More like secret services and have operations all over the world. Maseo coming here is a big asset for us. He already has a lot of training in a lot of spheres.   
\- Yes I agree, I can’t wait to see him on a mission.

The ceremony was held on the next day, on the ceremonial chamber and a lot more people came to see it. Ra’s Al Ghul and the priestess were again carrying the ceremony and the chanting. Maseo was a Chinese man, not very tall but with firm strong body with a lot of muscles and his face was like a mask with no emotions, he looked very aware of what was going on and totally into it. He took the fire cleansing like a stone and bowed deeply in front of Ra’s which made him very pleased. The name he chose was Sarab in Arabic, meaning mirage. Later he explained to Bantira that his new name points to his state of mind at the moment, the old Maseo is dead and there is only a mirage to what he used to be, a shadow to his previous self, but Bantira liked the sound of the name, she explained it that he is so good that his victims will never be able to see him coming, just a mirage that will disappear. Sara herself felt like that a lot recently, she is barely the girl she used to be, she doesn’t smile and her easy going funny nature who looks for friends and is at the center of a company, has completely gone. No she is reserved, calm and don’t show emotion. One of the first things that both Bantira and Nyssa had told her is that she carries her emotions on her sleeve and her eyes give up everything she is feeling, now she has this clear, strict, harsh look that no one can go through. That’s how she was watching the ceremony now. A woman across the hall was staring at Sara this attracted her attention she looked at her and saw Bikadima, her old friend, but she shook her head and headed to walk away when the ceremony ended.

\- You are in a hurry. I wanted to meet you – Sarab’s voice came from behind – I heard a lot good things about you  
\- I heard a lot good things about you too – Sara stopped  
\- I thought we can talk. They told me you are one of the most recent recruits that came in the League and are still alive  
\- Talk about what? I’m not looking for friends, and staying alive is what we do here everyday  
\- I’m not looking for friends either – Sarab’s face also got dark – I see you don’t have much of a heart left, don’t worry, I’m like that too. Just wanted some advice, maybe to spar  
\- Of course, for a man who wanted to join a murderous organization you either don’t have anything to live for or you like killing. – Sara smiled sarcastically – My advice: if you want to die you don’t need a league training, there is a poison the members here use, take it and everything will be over.   
Sarab smiled after her and shook his head. He didn’t thought that someone will make him smile after everything that happened to him to make him take this decision to search for this ancient organization of death and to join them, but here he found another blond American with a sense of sarcasm that was really amusing to him.  
On the next day at lunch Sara stumbled upon Sarab again. He was obviously perplexed what was this food he was having but tried not to show it.  
\- Look, I am sorry about yesterday. I was having a bad week, which is not an excuse of course to be rude.  
\- You are in the League of assassins. You can be as rude as you want – Sara smiled  
\- So what is your story, why did you joined  
\- I don’t want to talk about my past, I put it behind me. I would love to tell you about a man you remind me of but I really don’t want to go there, I want to start a new life and like Ra’s Al Ghul said in the ceremony: Maseo is dead, there is only Sarab now, who wants to adapt.  
\- You have a great philosophy Sarab. I’m sure you gonna become a good League member. – Sara looked at her meal and didn’t say anything anymore. 

When she left the dinner she saw Bikadima waiting for her outside, she almost startled her even.  
\- You are distracted – Bikadima smiled – For a League member you should know how to mind your surroundings. – Sara looked at her with a really nice tender smile  
\- You are speaking to me again – she said tenderly – I’ve missed you  
\- I thought you forgot about me. We are going to be on a mission together, so don’t get to excited  
\- Let’s do some things together. I am heading to the training room of climbing and parkour.  
\- That would be fun


	4. Chapter 4

At night Nyssa sneaked in at her room again with couple of candles. This time she wasn’t going to burn Sara’s hand to teach her on tolerance for pain, but meditation. She scattered the candles in the room and lit them. The atmosphere was filled with tender dispersed light which created warmth and coziness. Both Sara and Nyssa sat on the ground and crossed their legs. Nyssa made Sara close her eyes and relax her hands on her knees. She lit some scented herbs and the smoke filled the air.

\- Now, I want you to relax and try to empty your head. I want to teach you the art of escape of your mind. Whenever you feel pain or you are into a situation you want to leave you can do it just in your mind and travel somewhere else.  
\- I don’t think this is possible – Sara protested with closed eyes but she enjoyed Nyssa teaching her things.  
\- Just try not to think – Nyssa demanded- Even your breathing and imagine your head like a giant bowl full with warm soup.  
\- My mother used to say that I have bugs instead of brain  
\- Stop it Sara, that’s not funny – Nyssa giggled – Ok, imagine your head full of bugs, every one of them represent your thoughts and now all of them leave your head and crawl outside.  
\- This is creepy – Sara started to giggle too – Ok, ok, I’ll be serious.  
\- You spill the soup and now the bowl is empty, your head is empty, all your worries, fears, thoughts, memories, family, desires, insecurities, everything leaves your body and you become and empty vessel. Your mind gets in the form of a Canary, little yellow bird and fly away. It goes to a place you feel comfortable and at peace. Somewhere you like to go. Where is this place Sara? – Sara tried to remember where she felt good before her trip with Queen Gambit. At the campus was always a party but very noisy and hectic, at home she felt suffocated by her parents protectiveness and Laurel constant whining at her for things she did wrong and calling her a bitch.  
\- I’m in the hot tub you brought me in the forest near the castle – Nyssa smiled  
\- What do you see  
\- I see the blue sky above me and the tree branches, the steam coming from the hot water.  
\- You feel relaxed and very calm, but you are awake and very aware of the surroundings. This is your place now and you can go there whenever you feel like it. – Sara was listening to Nyssa’s voice so soothing and tender, at first she was very conscious of what she was saying and trying to imagine it but then suddenly she felt like she is really there – in the tub, in the forest, it was so real like she was dreaming but she wasn’t.

Nyssa gathered the group in the operation room and Sarab was impressed that an organization that lives high in the mountain so far away from the civilization with medieval ways of training and weapons have so much computers and intelligence. A group of hackers were following the computers all day, every news around the world, every political decision, every useful information was gathered, nothing could escape these trained robots who looked at the big monitors all day.  
\- The target is a Russian journalist called Ivan Vasiliev. We got paid from a Russian politician to get rid of him since he was spreading news he doesn’t like. He lives in Moscow, you have to find him and eliminate him. Bantira will lead the operation. Here is everything we gathered for him so far. – Nyssa handed over the papers to Bantira – You take Ta-er al-Sahfer and Sarab with you.  
\- Yes, my princess – Bantira bowed and the party left the operation room.  
In the corridor Sara saw that the others left quickly and felt the urge to grab Nyssa by the hand and kiss her leaning on the wall, but met her serious look  
\- So you are not coming? – she asked instead  
\- No, remember you have to show you are capable to be a leader. Don’t let me down –Nyssa was very diplomatic, “ so I guess now it’s not the moment” – Sara thought. – Here, I forgot to give the passports to Bantira for you travel. – she handed Sara 4 Russian passports. She tok them and went through them.  
\- Who is Milusha? – the 4rth passport was of a blond young man that she didn’t knew  
\- Oh, that was going to be for one of our members that knew very well Russian but he died just a week ago on his previous mission. I guess you are the one who have to help the team with the language barrier then.  
\- What about Bikadima. I’ve heard we will work on something soon – Nyssa smiled but didn’t said anything.


	5. Chapter 5

Sara hasn’t been with Nyssa for a while and she really missed her, but being in the League wasn’t some romantic vacation in an exotic place. She was thinking about that on the plane to Moscow. She has obligations and now she shouldn’t disappoint Nyssa, she wanted her to be a prominent leader, Sara also wanted to be distinguished, she has never been good with taking orders so she preferred if she was the one giving them, at least she could make things happen the way she sees them. She gained some experience so far and knew she can handle an operation, she wasn’t afraid to get into a fight and get hurt anymore. She was looking at the passport of the death member, for some reason she kept it with her and was thinking how disposable the lives of the people here are. She can be the next number in any mission and this was giving her a new perspective. She was no longer fighting to survive. She was already part of something and she was accepted, as long as she do what it is expected from her, but death can still be around the corner if she is not careful. She wanted to leave something, to die only if it’s worthy and meaningful.

It was really cold at this time of the year in Moscow. It was -20 degrees and all three of them were wearing warm jackets, hats, scarfs and gloves. The streets were covered in snow and there was unpleasant chilling wind. They were waiting for a taxi and Bantira was trembling.  
\- I hate cold  
\- Are you showing weakness? – Sara tried to be sarcastic  
\- No, I am just stating a fact. Tonight we get into his apartment find him and kill him. I hope it’s an easy mission. Just don’t screw it up.

The wind whirled and Bantira shivered again. Sara didn’t payed attention, she looked around, the city was empty, not so many cars and people and everything looked so white and peaceful. They went to a hotel near the center and booked 3 rooms. Sara left the others and took a tour in the city. It had vast squares with big palaces and churches with golden and colorful domes. The atmosphere was majestic. In the middle of the Red square the big spear dome was still exhibiting it’s red stars on top like a reminder of Russia history and symbolizing imperial Russia. Sara passed through a park ignoring the wind and the cold and reached another square with church with golden domes. She wanted to be by herself and just sightseeing the beauties of the cities she visits, even though it still felt strange for her that she is here not to enjoy a tour but to kill a man. She couldn’t get rid of the feeling that she is out of place and even though she was surrounded by other people she felt all alone and distant. She knew that no one knows her secret but what if they could read it in her face, the look of a cold blooded killer who came uninvited in this city to take someone out. When it got dark she came back to the hotel and visited Bantira’s room. According to Ivan’s schedule he is home by 20 o’clock so they had time to rest, have dinner and then visit him. He lived in the suburbs, this part of the city that wasn’t that fabulous. The residential area was constructed from block of flats from concrete buildings all looking one and the same, grey and old. Most of them were from the 60’s and weren’t in very good condition. Some apartments had rehabilitation and looked like patched with old and new colorful parts. Sara found herself among grey monuments of old architecture. Ivan lived in a flat in these parts and they found his address. He was from the middle class, a journalist who worked in the local paper who was very passionate for spreading truths or lies, things were very subjective, of the political power at the moment, so he got inconvenient. Sara climbed to the 8th floor using parkour, just her hands and legs and stood on the ledge of the window. Sarab watched her from below looking impressed and then took out his equipment: a metal rope with mechanism which pulled him up all the way through the ledge. Bantira stayed to wait for them down.

\- A tool I used a lot in my previous work. – Sarab wanted to impress her  
\- Things like that makes you lazy. Come on let’s go inside. – Sara started to open the window trying to be quiet. – So are you ok of killing that man? – she looked at Sarab  
\- If that’s what is expected of me, yes. Why? You are testing me or you have doubts? – Sara cracked the window open and jumped in what appeared to be the living room without answering. The heating system was booming and it was very warm inside. Both Sara and Sarab were wearing their league clothes and started to sweat. The place had old furniture and looked cozy. Without words they agreed to look for Ivan in the next rooms. Sara went into the bedroom and opened the door very carefully. There was a time when her heart will start beating heavily in moments like this but she started to get used to sneaking in and invading others peoples private spaces as normal. There was no one in the bedroom either. She started to open drawers and look over his stuff. Most of the things were there but there was a spot above the wardrobe that didn’t had dust and he had very little underwear. Sarab came from the kitchen.

  
\- I think he left. His suitcase is missing and some of his clothes. – Sara pointed out.  
\- Where did he went?  
\- I don’t know but we have to find out. Start searching for clues. Some address, photo of a relative, hotel, something.  
\- I don’t see his computer. You?  
\- No, I guess he took it with him.  
In the file it said that Ivan is not married and his parents died, so there weren’t any clues at the moment where he might be. Sara went through his stuff more carefully now. He seemed to have a hobby collecting newspaper articles which he cut from different newspapers and put nicely in a journal. He liked sports cause he had a lot of sports clothing and liked some vegetables in a jar with sour sauce. There was a bottle of vodka under his desk and a pack of cigarettes. Sara took a sip from the alcoholic liquid and shivered. It was strong but nice. She took another sip, this made her even more warm, and she took the bottle in her bag. Fallen from the desk she found a picture of a girl with a mobile number on the back and a note: call me. She took it without showing it to Sarab and left Ivan’s room.  
\- I didn’t found anything. Maybe tomorrow we have to visit his work. – Sarab looked at her very long and perceptive as if he was trying to figure her out but didn’t say anything.  
Bantira wasn’t happy with this outcome but agreed that Sara has to use her Russian and visit his work on the next day.


	6. Chapter 6

The newspaper office was somewhere in the center, she reached the destination with a taxi. She was wearing very regular normal clothes, jeans and big jacket, no make-up and her hair straight. She looked very young in this outfit and very down to earth, like the girl next door that a person would definitely would want to be friends with. A guy greeted her at the door and opened it for her. She entered the office and found big artistic chaos going on and a lot of people going or acting like they are busy with something. Another man noticed her and greeted her in Russian.

  
\- How can I help you, Miss?  
\- Hi, I want to apply for an intern job – Sara answered in Russian and smiled deeply. She has been working with a Russian teacher for months and hoped her accent is not so visible, but it seems the guy didn’t responded bad but smiled very warmly.  
\- That’s great. We need lovely ladies like yourself for interns. Here, you can sit here and I will ask out manager of staff to see you.  
Another blond and nice man, invited her in a meeting room and gave a bottle of water and all kind of papers to fill and left. She filled them quickly and started to walk around the office. No one was paying her much attention, everyone was busy with their things. On one door she saw on Cyrillic the name of Ivan Vasiliev, knocked on it and no matter that there wasn’t an answer she entered. The office wasn’t locked and his desk was artistically messy. She found a lot of articles about the politician who hired them and some of the things Ivan wrote were really bad. This country and it’s politic was very foreign to Sara, in America Russia has always been considered as the enemy and the government as dictatorship no matter that they weren’t communist anymore, so in some aspect she didn’t know whether Ivan’s articles were right but she had in mind that their politics might be dirty, as a whole every politician has done dirty stuff and if a journalist who didn’t seemed in any way benefited from the whole affair is writing about it so maybe there is really something behind it.

  
\- Who are you? What are you doing in Ivan’s office – a voice came from behind  
\- Oh, I’m sorry. I’m the new intern – Sara hired herself already – I am big fan of Ivan and wondered if he is here and I can ask him some stuff.  
\- He called in sick – the voice was nice now – You can ask him on Monday. I’ll show you were the interns sit – Sara left the room and found herself in front of a desk and a computer. The guy gave her some default passwords and told her to start her work by checking all the foreign press and search for any place where Russia is mentioned and gather the information. – You speak English, right. You look like an intelligent woman. – Sara smiled.  
On the afternoon a group of colleagues invited her to dinner with her. They went in the nearby restaurant which had lunch menu. Everybody ordered something cooked and a bottle of beer, while Sara was dying for a burger.  
\- So the new intern, ha  
\- Yeh – Sara tried to look as innocent as possible  
\- So why did you decided to join our newspaper  
\- You know I read a lot of Ivan’s work and was very inspired by it. I always liked the profession of journalism and informing people about the truth.  
\- Oh, a fan – some of the colleagues laugh  
\- You know Ivan wrote some pretty controversial stuff lately which wasn’t good. You should stay out of politics at the beginning. – one of the man said and the others looked at him nervously  
\- Why, what do you mean? Isn’t that exactly the point. To say controversial things.  
\- Politician here don’t like when someone is trying to tell the truth about them, they are all corrupted, mafia.  
\- Shut up, Sasha, you are overreacting, Ivan is fine  
\- Where is he? Why he is not at work? – Sara asked though  
\- He called in sick, yesterday. He said he will be back on Monday.  
\- Did someone checked him in, maybe if he lives alone he will need someone to give him a hot soup or something – Sara used her very sweet voice saying this  
\- Oh, sweetie, I am sorry to disappoint you but from recently he has a girl – Natasha, from the office next door. I’m sure she takes good care of him.

Sara waited in front of the office building to see if this woman will go out after work. She was thinking about her day. Everyone in the newspaper were so nice, but not with cold courtesy and pretense like how Americans or some Europeans are but really sincerely worm and natural. There was a time when she probably would felt like she would really want that normal life and to feel trapped that she has to pretend and lie to them, and want to be really part of them, but now she was glad her day in the normality is over and she is again out there on the field waiting for something to happen. She felt bored with all those nice talks and easy going, nothing happening day and she was craving for some action, something that will rise her adrenaline. Finally she saw the woman from the photo leave the building and followed her. She took the public transport and Sara got on the bus with her. The woman lived in another suburban area very similar to the one of Ivan’s and entered a block which front door didn’t locked. Sara entered after her and quickly climbed the stairs without making any noise. Sara saw which door the woman opened and going out of the window she reached her apartment window from outside. She kneed and looked inside. The lights were opened and she could see inside very clearly. Ivan was there. They were talking and he looked nervous. Sara entered the apartment from the other room and got near the door of the living room so she can hear their conversation.

  
\- Natasha, I can’t stay here. These men will come for me again.  
\- What men? Stopped being paranoid Ivan, please – she was very worried  
\- The one that attacked me in front of the office when I wrote the first piece. Now after last week’s article they sure will be back.  
\- Why don’t you tell the police  
\- Are you kidding me, the police? This is Russia, people here disappear without a trace and a reason, the police works for them  
\- We are not communism anymore, and if it’s so serious why did you write that article after all. No one made you.  
\- The same people are still on top. Just dressed differently. I thought that someone has to tell the truth but I am regrading it now. – Ivan said that a little said and tired and sat on the couch. He looked depressed and desperate at the same time – Natasha kneeled next to him and whispered slowly. You can go and visit my grandpa. He lives in Siberia. I’ll give you the address, but I think it would be difficult for someone to find you there. – She took a notebook and wrote something on it, tore the paper and handed it to Ivan. He took it with a look of hope and gratitude.

Sara was standing in the hallway and part of her was saying that she can easily kill him after he leaves the apartment and part of her was against that. A lot of thoughts were passing through her head, she already has killed innocent men in the fear of failing a mission, she definitely didn’t wanted to go to the torture chamber again, but then this man didn’t deserved to die, but then if it’s not her it will be someone else and he is as good as death now, if they ordered his death penalty anyway. Ivan and Natasha agreed that he will leave tomorrow and went to the bedroom. Sara entered the room and took the paper from the notebook below the note of the address which had the markings of Natasha’s pen. On the way out she was succumbed by her thoughts thinking whether she took the right decision when couple of men attracted her attention. They were loud and looked drunk. She saw them took the same turn as a young woman in a smaller street. At first she told to herself that she is paranoid and decided to go on her way but something made her follow them anyway. The men narrowed the distance between them and the lady no matter that it looked like she had a high pace. One of them grabbed her from behind and took her bag. She shouted but there was no one around to pay attention, the street was dark, no street light and was surrounded by big high block from cement. The men looked disappointed that there weren’t much money in her bag and started to drag her around, she tried to free herself but they were big and surrounded her. Sara reached them just on time when one of them wanted to hit her on the face and stopped his hand, grabbing him from behind.  
\- Hasn’t no one told you that it’s not nice to hit a woman? – she punched him on the nose with her elbow, kicked the other one below the knee and threw him over the third one. They both fell like bottles. The woman took her bag and run away without even looking. Sara felt something rushing over her head and completely blinding her consequence, she saw all the demons and blood she was seeing during her torture days the weeks before when she was on hallucinogenic mushrooms, all of these scenes rushed in her head and she took her knife out. She remembered how she tortured that guy in the dungeon. One of the men got up and smiled really drunk trying to attack her  
\- You are pretty, you will do – she stabbed him immediately but didn’t stopped with one hit, she hit him multiple times till everything turned red in his blood.  
\- I think you are pretty now – she also smiled at him, cleared her knife and left the crime scene.


	7. Chapter 7

\- I found him. – Sara told Bantira back at their hotel. – He is going to Siberia to this address. I think it’s perfect cause we can easily make it an accident. We can’t just kill him in the middle of Moscow. Everyone will know why and now his colleagues are oblivious.  
\- So if he just disappear will be better.  
\- We will spread that he is going on a vacation in the wild, maybe he has some passion of the nature and then bum, he died of some natural cause.  
\- I like this plan – Bantira agreed and Maseo nodded too.

They took a plane to Novosibirsk, the biggest town in the Siberian region and then a train to the small village in the north. On the way there Sara was going though Ivan’s newspaper journal and all the articles he gathered, his and from other authors. They were all in Russian but she found it refreshing to occupy her mind with training her language knowledge. On the train Maseo and Bantira were sitting on the bench in front of her discussing the plan and how to approach the house. The grandpa lived somewhere outside of the village and there was just a bumpy road to his house. Maseo suggested that they should buy white clothes and warmer for the severe weather and they did so from Novosibirsk. Sara let them discuss and submerged in the articles about politics, ecology, new science discoveries and so on. When they got off the train it was starting to get dark but there was till the dim light and the reflected one from the snow that made the silhouette visible. There was no one on the train station, only an old hulled pale building without windows and a wooden door. That was good, no one would have seen them come and they were the only one who travelled in this compartment and that got off at this stop. Bantira took out a gps device and led the way. They got out of the village quickly without entering the center and headed towards the old man house. The cold at this part of the country was even bigger and the wind was making it unbearable and because there was a lot of snow it was very difficult to walk. No one complained though, they continued to the destination with a regular pace. They were all dressed in white and merged with the surrounding snow, it didn’t get completely dark since the snow was emanating light. When they got near the house they heard screams and hоwls coming from animals. Sara hurried up and the others followed her. She saw an old man in ambush from a pack of wolves. The man has fallen to the ground lost balance and the wolves were in very short proximity ready to attack. Bantira shot an arrow just next to the paw of the nearest wolf, who was about to bite the fallen man, and he jumped from surprise. He looked at her startled and she continued to approach him very confident with bent position, walking like a cat and started to roar at them very loudly and fiercely. One of the other wolves started to run towards her but she also shot an arrow towards him just scratching his fur and he stopped his urge and retreated. The others followed him and Bantira reached the man and helped him to get up.

\- Thank you, so much. You are my saviors. – the man was looking at her with great gratitude  
\- Unfortunately we are the opposite of that – Sara said coldly and the man changed his expression when he saw the others approaching with pointed bows to him.  
Back at his house they tied him to a chair and lit the fire in the fire place. The man looked even more scared and confused.  
\- Who are you people what do you want from me? – he was rotating his head on the different directions to be able to see all of them but just Sara stood in front of him  
\- We are not going to hurt you if you tell us what we want to know: where is Ivan Vasiliev?  
\- Who? I don’t know who that guy is – the man looked even more startled.  
\- What is he saying – Bantira looked nervous  
\- That he doesn’t know who Ivan is – Sara translated – We know he came here to hide. It will be a lot easier for every one of you just answer this question. We are not going to hurt him. Just want to talk to him.  
\- But I really don’t know for who you are talking about. Honestly.   
Sara stepped back and started to look through the house. Maseo and Bantira looked at each other and the leader obviously not pleased by her member retreat pointed to the other one to proceed the interrogation. Maseo approached from behind the old man and grabbed him really hard by his shoulder closed to the neck stopping the blood flow and the old man moaned from pain.  
\- Where is the journalist Ivan? – Maseo asked him in English and put a knife on his throat. The man didn’t even how to answer this and tears started to fall down his cheeks.   
Sara looked at that picture and her heart sank. How low did she fallen, this man obviously didn’t had an easy life but he didn’t deserve torture on his last years. She didn’t gave out anything she was feeling though and continued to look through his stuff, while Maseo was using more brutal force to make the man talk.  
\- I think he is telling the truth – Sara said – There is no evidence that another man is leaving here. The food is just for 1, the blankets are not enough, and the man prepared coffee just for himself, the brush in the bathroom is just 1. No clothes. There is no way he knew we were coming so he will hide the other things.  
Maseo released his grip over the old man’s shoulder and looked at Bantira.  
\- So where is he then?  
\- I think he might changed his mind and went to visit a tiger photographer. He made an article about a Korean man who spent years of tracking tigers in this region just to photograph them and they became friends. The photographer had self made huts and thought him how to survive alone in this region. We know he bought a train ticket to Novosibirsk so he must be here, it’s just not in this old man’s house.  
Bantira looked annoyed, this mission started to get more difficult than she anticipated but she made the decisions to come here so she had to stick to it.  
\- Ok, finish him. We can’t leave witnesses. - She said and left. Maseo looked hesitant but also didn’t wanted to stay for the execution of the old man and followed her. It was just Sara and the man now. She kneeled next to him, looked at him in the eyes and untied him. He looked at her too with wet tired still hurting eyes in which there was so much life and wisdom.  
\- You are not a good person. So pretty and young you remind me of my grand daughter but still so cold and cruel.  
\- I know – Sara answered him with no emotion like his words didn’t touched her at all– I didn’t had the luxury to be good. Everyone is gray, there is no good and bad  
\- Are you going to kill me now – the man stood in front of her with his dignity  
\- No – she said – Just be quiet and never talk about that and you’ll be fine, just make yourself a chicken soup. If you say to anyone something you will be the one who will kill me and you will be the killer of a young beautiful and lost girl. – the old man smiled and nodded his head in agreement. Sara left from outside, slaughtered a chicken from his barn to make his sword dirty and left without turning around.  
\- Is it done – Bantira asked her trembling in the cold. Sara nodded and wiped her bloody sword to clear it before putting it back in the case. Bantira has found the new destination and pointed to the other to where they should head now.  
\- So are you going to tell me about this trick with the wolves you’ve made. Where did you learned it. – Maseo asked.  
\- Nyssa thought me this. She is very good with animals and knows a lot about them. She told me she is friends with the wolves from the forest around her home since a kid. She communicated with them and one winter which was very cold she even fed them and one of them followed her for a while like a dog but then straight away cause he found love. That’s why Nyssa thought that love breaks alliances and people change their allegiance because they will always choose love in front of everything.  
\- Not very good for organization like the League of Assassins.   
Bantira smiled and threw a fast look at Sara to see where she was looking, but she wasn’t looking at her but tracing his steps. The snow was deep and it was difficult to walk. On the sun rise Bantira caught some traces in the snow from snowshoes but the wind started to get bigger and threatened to erase them.  
\- Damn it! We have to be faster. This can be our man.


	8. Chapter 8

They speede up their pace but the hunger, fatigue and numbness of their limbs was getting the toll. The sun started to rise even higher and made the snow flicker and blind them. “I guess none of us was really trained for this journey, there are so many things that we should have had in mind than just the cold” – Sara thought.

  
\- Someone else feeling like a German soldier trying to concur Russia? – Sara tried to joke but the rest looked at her not amused.  
They reached a hut where the traces finished and got their bows ready. Bantira opened the wooden door and it squeaked. It was dark and moisty inside but there was no one in. The place was small, just one room with a bed, table and a chair. They looked around but couldn’t find more traces, the wind has cleared everything.  
\- We should eat here – Bantira said.They ate and regained their strength a little. It was already sometime in the afternoon and they haven’t slept for more than 24 hours. - We should rest a little.  
After couple of hours they decided to continue their journey. They walked outside very slowly and noticed a figure approaching the hut from afar, dressed in black he was very easily spotted. He noticed them too though going out of the hut and started to run. Maseo was the first one to rush towards his direction and Bantira and Sara followed him. The man was with snowshoes and was running fater but his followers were very persistent. Maseo stepped in а little bump and he fell deep into the snow, sinking to the elbows. Bantira and Sara stopped. They hesitated and started to look around  
\- We can’t continue without a stick – Bantira said – There can be more snow traps.  
\- We can’t leave him. He will freeze.  
\- Just don’t move – Bantira demanded – You don’t know where you are stepping. I don’t want you in the same condition. – She looked around and found a branch on a hand reach. She took it and started to test the snow. She got near Maseo and helped Sara too. They both started to shovel the snow and to try to take him out of the trap. It wasn’t easy but they succeeded. The man has gained a considerable distance though. – The question now is would he go back to the same hut or he will search for another. We don’t know how many this photographer has built.  
\- I suggest we continue – Maseo said- I doubt he will think it’s safe to come back to this place.

They got up and started to walk testing the snow in front of them with branches. Not far away another danger was awaiting them. A tiger was standing on their way looking straight at them. It was a majestic beautiful creature contrasting on the white snow with it’s orange stripes. It had royal posture and piercing hypnotizing eyes. If it wasn’t a threat it was definitely something to admire. All of them froze, the tiger roared and took few steps front. Bantira make herself look bigger and roared at him too. She made a gesture to the rest to retreat and continued to try to intimidate him. She tried to take her sward out but it was frozen and she couldn’t. From the moisture in the hut the weapons got wet and now they have frozen in their cases. This look away from the tiger cost Bantira a lot since the animal threw itself at her with one jump and knocked her down. Maseo who was few steps back tried to pull out his sword too but couldn’t, Sara saw this and took a signal flare and shot in the air. The loud noise got the animal attention and frighten him. These animal were hunted a lot here. He left Bantira and took of quickly in the forest. Sara and Maseo rushed to help Bantira, she was injured and was moaning, her blood was spilling red puddle in the snow. They carried Her towards the hut when Maseo noticed the steps from the snow shoes again. He looked at the others.

  
\- We have to finish the mission – Bantira demanded- Go find him and leave me. – Sara looked at Maseo  
\- I am not leaving you. It’s not a successful mission of our leader died in the snow – Sara protested  
\- I can handle this alone – Maseo said – Take care of her. I’ll find him and kill him – He let go of Bantira’s arm and continued towards the trace.

  
Sara carried her to the hut and put her on the bed. She put wood on the fire place and lit it to make the place warmer and then started to attend her wounds. She took her white jacket already turned red and found that the tiger has bit her on the arm and scratched her on the shoulder. Sara took her medical kit and started to sew her and bandage her. Bantira was full conscious but wasn’t protesting at all. She even gave her instructions what to do and how. Sara already knew how to deal with wounds but she didn’t mind. She knew that this was keeping her in conscious. After she bandaged her arm, she put some food on the pot and in the fire.

  
\- You’ll be alright – Sara said tenderly  
\- I just hope Sarab kills that man and we can get out of here. – Sara turned her head around. It wasn’t going to be her responsibility but this doesn’t make it more ok. She was still accomplice and this was going to be another innocent man’s life on her. She remembered that little girl, the daughter of Suarez, who cried over her dead father’s body and she shivered.

The whole night past and Maseo returned with the news: He couldn’t find him. Bantira sullen but they had to stay a little more time in the hut since she get better. There wasn’t a lot of place for everyone to sleep on the bed and the place was small. Sara slept on the door. Maseo on the floor. The woods started to finish and Bantira started to worry that the others will start to question the mission, but no one complained. Both Sara and Maseo were in their own world and didn’t looked troubled by the harsh circumstances. On the third day Bantira got better but the food finished and Sara went hunting. She just wished she won’t meet the tiger or the wolves again. She took her bow and searched for rabbits. Not far away from the hut she stumbled upon very accidentally to a hidden underground cabin. It was almost invisible but the angle of the light at this moment gave it away. There was a whole that succumb the light. Sara kneeled and saw and wooden ledge. She opened it and saw a small space just for one man which was holding the terrified Ivan who was looking at her with frantic eyes. She closed the ledge and breathed heavily. The man got out and stood infront of her knowing there is no where to run. He looked very tired and hungry.

  
\- Go on, kill me. There is no where I can run here and no where to go. I can’t live like that forever. If I go back to the city they will find someone else to kill me. – he was very desperate. Sara hesitated for a while and took out the passport of the Russian that was supposed to come with them but was killed.  
\- This is a fake passport but will be enough to help you go out of the country. I think if you managed to survive so far and reach as far as here you will be able to hold a little more and reach the border. Don’t give up

Ivan stood numb and completely frustrated holding the passport of a blond man in his thirties in his hand looking at the figure departing the scene. Back in Moscow Sara killed a man in cold blood out of anger, did he deserved to die, probably not. Was she regretting it – no. But she knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. He could have had a family, to be as an ordinary and normal as the journalist, but the fact that at this moment he was at that place drunk and decided to harass a woman woke up Sara’s demons. She knew she had to learn to control them, to be rational and kill only when she needs to and not out of anger and black out. “Maybe saving that man’s life now will substitute for the death of the other. Maybe I’ll be at least a little bit redeemed”. Sara found herself eyes to eyes with the tiger again totally absorbed from her thoughts. He looked at her, blinked and she blinked back slowly and calmly. They stared for a while without taking their eyes off and the tiger just turned his back and left. He speared her life, she though. Back at the cottage Bantira was ready to go.

\- We can’t stay any longer here, I have to think about my men too and you two are getting exhausted and the food has finished, we all are not going to make it if we continue with this mission and I was looking at the weather forecast, the weather will get worse. – she gasped and looked around – I will take my punishment but I don’t want you and Sarab to suffer because of this mission.  
\- Don’t worry, the mission is over. I saw the tiger again. He was from our target. We can go home. – Maseo smiled with this news. He has been very silent and calm through the whole time but even he was happy that things were to it’s end.  
This vast whiteness, silence where only the sound of the hissing wind through the snow was audible, this calmness and piercing cold that made your limbs freeze and your body numb, all of that was beautiful and captivating in it’s own way. The majestic animal, the tiger that ruled that land, ancient and wise was turned into a prey of the human kind, afraid of it’s strength and power man didn’t liked that there can be something more great than him, the Siberian tiger became endangered to be extinct and while Sara was struggling with her steps through the deep snow, she was thinking how lucky she has been to have a chance to experience all that, to be part of this world, with all it’s rawness and virgin to many human eyes, sights.


	9. Chapter 9

Sara was lying calmly in Nyssa’s embrace caressing her thighs and kissing her neck. She got excited and started to rub her whole body around Nyssa and search for her lips. The feeling was pleasant and Sara moaned.  
\- Ta-er al-Sahfer, Ta-er al-Sahfer – Nyssa was pulling her to wake up. Sara opened her eyes and saw Nyssa’s face in front of her smiling. She was really in her embrace but obviously dreaming.  
\- What’s going on. I was dreaming about us doing nice things – Sara smiled sleepily  
\- Oh that’s why you were pushing me out of the bed – Nyssa was in a good mood and that made Sara happy  
\- Sorry – she hugged her and kissed her for real – So if you are awake we can full fill my dream  
\- Or may be you can tell me about your mission. Tomorrow you will back at your tasks me at mine and we won’t have time to talk. – Sara sat in the bad now serious.  
\- It was interesting one. I don’t regret doing it. Now I see what you meant about how my horizons were widened, I’ve seen things that I would probably would have never been able to otherwise.  
\- I’m surprised that a trip to the north made you so positive. You came home with wounds from 1st degree freeze. – Sara looked down and then at Nyssa with serious eyes filled with emotion  
\- The pain doesn’t bother me, - she made a pause – I’ve did things. Things that probably I shouldn’t have  
\- What things – Nyssa looked at her startled  
\- I killed a man in Moscow – Sara confessed without hesitation looking straight at Nyssa’s eyes –He was drunk and attacked a woman on the street, I disarmed him first but then he came at me and I switched, I stabbed him a couple of times and that made me feel good, it’s like it released an energy hidden in me, some negative emotions that I needed to take out. This man probably didn’t deserved to die but I don’t even feel bad about it. I feel nothing actually.

  
\- It’s my fault, this place fault – Nyssa looked away in sorrow. – I’m turning you in to a monster, taking piece of your soul  
\- That’s not true – Sara caressed her hair – When I came here I already had that darkness inside me. I’ve spent 1 year locked up in a prison ghost ship with a crazy doctor who was making experiments on people to save the human race and I was helping him to preserve myself to survive but at some point I became his accomplice, his apprentice. All those men who worked for him terrified me and I still remember the day they pulled me out of the sea just on my underwear and locked me in a cage. I swallowed all those fear and disgust in me, at night when I closed my eyes I was trying to shake off all those images of what they could do to me if I’m not compliant but then I got used to the things I was doing and I wasn’t even bothered. – Sara swallowed and looked at her hands – I guess if I hadn’t had all those experience already I wouldn’t be able to survive it here but Amazo unleashed something in me and made me a different person, people are shaped by experiences but the willingness and the strength to survive has been in me and I was following that instinct.

  
\- You have to learn to control that monster Canary, I love how you defy justice and care for things, that’s why I fell in love with you. You are bringing the humanity in me  
\- In that aspect, there is something else – Sara was looking at her straight in the eyes with firm determined look – I didn’t killed our target, Ivan. I lied to Bantira, I let him go. – Nyssa jumped out of bed like something pierced her  
\- What?! Why are you even telling me this  
\- Because I don’t want any lies to stay between us. You and me, our feelings are bigger than the League and even if you have to punish me, do it but keeping things from you is bigger punishment for me  
\- Nothing is bigger than the League! Get out! Get out! – Nyssa was obviously angry but she kept the cool exterior and didn’t rise her voice, her voice didn’t left room for objections so Sara obeyed and sneaked out.

She remained alone and in complete silence frozen next to the window without even looking. This woman was doing so much to her she couldn’t even comprehend it. She knew that no one could find out Sara’s lie so that’s not what bothered her but the conflict she was giving her, the fact that there are other ways, something she never thought, that she can disobey her father and do things her own way, be more in control. This was tempting but also scary, his laws were always stone for her, this was all she knew. And it wasn’t so much because of the pain and the punishments, she hasn’t been punished so much and so recently like Sara but she was raised like that, Ra’s Al Ghul was her father and she always though that what he says is right. Asking too many questions and overthinking the possibilities was a bigger burden. It’s not like Nyssa wasn’t in control of a lot of things, but taking out the target was one of the things everyone knew that can’t be questioned. After all that’s why they are the League of Assassins. They controlled the world peace by eliminating people who are not comfortable.

  
She spent the whole night thinking about this and wondering what to do with Sara. In the morning she found her going hand to hand with Maseo in the training room and Bantira supervising them. Maseo was winning but Sara wasn’t giving up, she was fighting very steady and always getting up but he had very good preparation from before and had better technique. He grabbed her in a firm grip and she gasped.  
\- Enough, Ta-er al-Sahfer I need to talk to you – Nyssa demanded disappointed.

  
Sara followed her silently to a temple which was in the backyard suited for private time, prayers and meditation. The building was stone with barely no windows and in the inside a lot of candles were filling the air with light and smell of wax. There was something completely tranquil and peaceful to this place that bothered Sara, right now she was used to the sound of fights hitting metal and shouting. The architecture was made in this way that the sound didn’t echoed at all and it was completely silent. Nyssa turned to Sara, stopped and looked at her  
\- I love that you told me, Canary!  
\- Canary?! I like how this sounds – Sara smiled and hugged her. Nyssa let herself dive into the warmth of Sara’s embrace but after a while freed herself  
\- I compel you to silence for 2 weeks! You shall not speak, communicate in any other way and train with anyone for this time period. The only thing you are allowed is to meditate and think about your deed – Nyssa turned her back  
\- Nyssa – Sara protested gently  
\- I’ll inform the others. This will be good for your practice.

Sara was left alone in the complete silence and she felt full force the strength of her punishment from the first minute. She didn’t realized how hard this could be until the first couple of days past and all she was left with was this chapel and walks in the gardens. She didn’t communicated much with the others anyway but she missed the trainings and the physical exercises as well as the courses of Arabic, Chinese and other languages. The thing that was the most hard was the fact she was unable to talk to Nyssa. In the first 3 days she felt very lonely but then she got used to it. She didn’t had anyone to talk to when she was on Amazo either, all she had was the mad doctor. “I’m going mad” – she was thinking to herself lying in bed at night, “the fact that I feel completely ok by myself, alone in the dark, there is much more things you can discover about yourself, your inner soul when you don’t need to worry about the others and what they might say or should you talk to them, and how you should act”. Sara was taking walks in the garden and in the forest for whole day just listening to the trees and the wind telling stories from centuries ago. She was lying on the grass watching the clouds pass by taking different forms of imaginary creatures. The deep blue sky made her feel at peace and while it looked like the endless sea in which she drowned couple of years ago, this one was calm and inviting with the fluffy white cotton that made her wish she can just sink in them. In the night she took long baths when there was no one there, just sitting in the complete darkness remembering her father’s voice. She thought that would be the first thing to forget but his deep crazy voice followed her everywhere. She remembered her mother’s face the day she told her she is going on the boat trip and how she hugged her and told her to follow her heart, her sister who was poking her ear calling her a bitch because she was revealing her the truth, she was holding on to these memories so she won’t get completely insane and loose herself, and then she started to imagine the long conversations she has with Nyssa about life. The first time she got in to her bath and made her angry but intrigued by not following the rules.

When the weeks of silence were over Nyssa visited Sara at the temple.

  
\- I had a lot of thinking too – she started - I didn’t realized what bothered me more: my own expectations of how you follow my rules or my own disappointment from myself of blindly following rules. But you are right, there shouldn’t be any organization or someone above you who should dictate your consciousness. Everyone is responsible for their own deeds.  
\- Nyssa – Sara held her hand but Nyssa interrupted her.  
\- When I was a kid my father regularly gave me a weapon and a task to kill someone, usually it was something easy, someone in the castle or in the prison but he just wanted to make me accept death and the act of taking someone’s life as something natural and easy and I did. We kill living creatures everyday, so why would a human life be more valuable when the earth is full of people. We kill insects without thinking cause they don’t have the same self awareness, but how do we know this. And life matters only when you are alive, after that there is nothing you can regret. The world is a constant war and we are always fighting, some regular man’s life is not important in the bigger scale, especially when people take so much from everything around them and never return, or just garbage, that’s what we produce the most.  
\- You are right about all that – Sara was looking at her in the eyes – My life, your life, nothing matters in a bigger scale. We all gonna die and in the eyes of a bigger predator we are also some small insignificant creatures. I just want you and I to have our own place, something that is just ours, our love, it doesn’t have to be physical, just emotional, because you are the only thing that makes me feel good and that I feel cares for me. You know when you asked me that first days in the League to go and kill that leader in the mountains, I haven’t done anything like that before but I didn’t even hesitated, I was scared but determined, back then I thought I was doing this for myself, but now I feel like part of me was doing this for you too, because I wanted to be like you and to impress you. I always knew that I can trust you.  
\- Even after all the terrible things I’ve done  
\- You were raised like that, and we all do terrible things. I was raised by loving family but then stole my sister’s boyfriend, I thought that I deserve that love too and I was selfish.  
\- Well, at least you saved her from the disappointment of having longer relationship with him and bigger expectations and after that find out that he is a cheater.  
\- I gave her the grieve of losing both a sister and a boy she thought she loved at the same time while they were betraying her. At least you saved these miserable bastards from their miserable lives.  
\- Well no sister will love a man more that her own sister. She has forgiven you by now and moved on, the man was clearly not worth it.  
\- I loved him too, you know. He didn’t deserved what happened to him on that island, he was just a boy who wasn’t sure what is love.  
\- You are very generous towards men, Canary  
\- Not every man, certainly not – Nyssa smiled and kissed her deeply and gently  
\- That’s why I love you.


	10. Chapter 10

Sara was preparing herself for the morning sessions when she noticed the blood in her panties. “Oh, crap, that part of the month again”, she didn’t even noticed how much time has passed in her last mission and that it’s time for the red visitors again. She took out a pad from her drawer wit annoyance. She was lucky that it wasn’t so hard for her during that period compared to some other women but still training at this moment wasn’t very pleasant. The only positive part was that when she had the feeling of beating the crap out of someone she actually had that chance. Nyssa entered her room exuberant. She had a nicer room now, spacious with a big window and a bed, not so many possessions and the wardrobe was small but she didn’t had many clothes anyway, but with a special compartment for her weapons.

  
\- Hey, come on, don’t take too many stuff, we are going hiking  
\- Hiking – Sara was excited now – Where?  
They left the castle and headed toward the mountains in a deep pine forest. The air was fresh and dry and Sara felt liberated, the scent of pine, mud and grass was filling her nostrils and giving nice sensations, she was holding Nyssa’s hand feeling her warmth and sweat.  
\- I love doing things like that with you  
\- You’ll see, I know a lot of other stuff than how to kill a man in a lot of different ways  
\- Well, it’s not like that is not resourceful – Sara smiled.  
\- And I love when you are smiling – They reached a meadow illuminated from the sun and Nyssa spread a blanket.  
\- I’ll teach you more meditation and how to connect with nature and animals. You have to be able to hear the sounds that otherwise are hidden from the human senses, feel the movement around you, sense the different smells and communicate with birds. You are a bird after all and these animals bring a lot of knowledge for the environment. – Sara accommodated herself in front of Nyssa, closed her eyes and started to succumb her every word. Gaining knowledge from someone who has seen and experience things so differently was a bliss. They stayed liked that for what felt like ages and were totally submerged into the nature and the surroundings. Sara was catching different smells and sounds and the directions the wind was touching her hair all with the guidance of Nyssa. She was feeling cold or tired, just relaxed and out of her body, floating around trying to see what the birds were seeing.

  
\- Our next mission will bring us to the jungle. A completely different place than the Siberian tundra, it’s filled with life, noises and movement and everything out there wants to catch you or is poisonous.  
\- That sounds exciting – Sara looked totally relaxed and invigorated – What it will be about? I hope you are coming this time.  
\- Well, we are going to India to stop one mafia boss take the business of another. – Nyssa was looking at her devilish and smiling – I know what are you going to say, but listen the one we are after is connected with human trafficking and child slavery and wants to take the business of the other which is drugs  
\- So drugs, which also kill kids and people around the world and is connected with human trafficking and slavery is better? – Sara was looking at her with ironic smile  
\- Well if we take out the human trafficking then we get only the drugs that people want to buy anyway. There is tons of bad things in the modern society that kills people but is legal and people sell it, so what is the problems of drugs  
\- The problem is that a lot of innocent and easily manipulated naïve young people get under the influence from older men who do it on purpose so they can sell their commodity or use already addicted youngsters for prostitution.  
\- So is this your worse crime in your list?  
\- No, that will be rape and serial killers  
\- Serial killers? What on earth is that – Nyssa was intrigued  
\- These are sick people usually men who kill people for fun or other sick pleasure that they get. They choose their victims randomly, usually women and kill them in an awful way after which leave their bodies for display and the fact that they don’t have a real motive and move around makes it very difficult to catch. My father worked on a case like that, the serial killer called himself the Doll maker, he killed women just to turn them into dolls. These innocent people suffered just for the sick please of one sick mind. I f I ever had a change I will gladly put a knife through his heart.  
\- I guess the modern society produced very sick minds, I haven’t heard about serial killers around here.  
\- That’s true, but the mankind has always been connected with men torturing, enslaving and raping others.  
\- That’s why there is no need to pity them, and there is the need of an organization with strict rules who can maintain the balance.  
\- You always know the right thing to say – Sara kissed her and Nyssa enjoyed her wet worm lips and tongue.  
\- And you always remain compassionate and remorseful and bring the humanity in me – Nyssa kissed her again  
\- I like that game, - Sara smiled even more – And you always makes me stronger and better – she kissed her again but this time the kiss continued to kissing her whole face, then licking her neck and loosing her mantle, unbuttoning her coat and reaching her breasts. Nyssa mourned when Sara kissed and gently licked her right nipple, revealing her bare chests to the decreasing sun. She left herself be stripped kissed and licked everywhere and then passionately took Sara in her arms, put her beneath her, tore her clothes without consideration and lay down her bare body on the grass, Sara was totally submissive to everything she was doing, filled with pleasure and passion. Nyssa lay above her and they both started fucking each other with hands while kissing and licking their necks.


	11. Chapter 11

The mission was complex and demanded more than one team. Bantira, Bikadima and Ta-er al-Sahfer were on the team that should get undercover in the local mafia lord in Shillong a city located in the eastern part of India surrounded by jungles. Gahlot was trafficking with women and children from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam for years now buying drugs, mainly heroin and other opium from his colleague Ganti, that he wanted to replace now. The team lead by Bantira consisting only from women should infiltrate his organization as prisoners from Thailand sold to one of his man who was giving the League information. Nyssa, Masseo and Al Ow-Al, one of the best League’s leaders were going to meet Ganti and assist him to find who is the trader in his organization.

Sara has never been on a mission with Bikadima, although they had a brief friendship Sara still found her close and was feeling nervous through the whole journey to Bangladesh. She remembered that diner where they first met and the story of the Serbian girl who was saved from human trafficking to became a league fighter. They protected each outer at first but were torn apart by the league rules who tried to make the soldiers with no attachments and compassion. She didn’t know how to feel about her and how Bikadima was feeling about Sara, does she has any feeling at all or now they are completely strangers. Even though they briefly met recently and trained together Sara didn’t had much time after that to meet her again even though she wanted to. The journey was silent and very tense. The whole situation was unsettling. Sara knew that Nyssa was putting her in this mission because she trusted her, she knew that this kind of situations will take out the best of her as an assassin but also she felt that Nyssa relied on Sara to protect the women. Even though the fact that she had to be deprived of her freedom and control was disturbing, she wasn’t the same girl she used to be but the bad taste of the past was still there. The good part was that Nyssa was going to be there and Sara trusted her that she will never desert her.

The team reached the Bangladesh border and the prison truck stopped, their documents were checked and right after that the trucked curved from the main route and stopped again. A couple of Indian men with guns with came out the woods and opened the back of the truck where Bantira and her team was, handcuffed with prison clothes.  
\- Game on- she said very silently and the women starred at the light coming from outside with half closed eyes.  
\- These are the women we promised – The driver said to the armed man – 2 blondes and one black pearl. They are young and lovely, not damaged by the prison at all, in good health and strength. – the men urged them to come out, checked their faces and teeth like animals and approved them. He rushed them in another truck, gave the driver a bag full of cash and left through a dusty road in the jungle.  
Sara was looking at Bikadima’s face who refused to make an eye contact with her.  
\- Don’t worry, this is just a game and we are fully in control, we just have to follow the plan and we will be out of here soon enough  
\- Are you trying to suite yourself in or what – Bikadima asked her sarcastically, Sara smiled and shook her head  
\- Well if things go out of the way we have out veils with poison so we can have our way out – Bantira said  
\- Good that we have you Bantira with your incredible optimism and desire to follow protocol – Sara was silently laughing – But I’m not going to die, let alone kill myself in this place. We are here to stop this men and free this women that’s what we are going to do.

\- And you with your unsettling spirit always makes me nervous – she wanted to continue but they were interrupted by some loud voices from outside. They reached a fortress where they kept the slaves for further inspection and assignments. From there the women were sold around the world for prostitution of wives in the middle east.  
Bantira’s party was led in a partly wooden partly brick building, cold and humid and a man made them take their clothes off and take a shower in the common bathrooms. The place looked like a prison and the hygiene was low, a lot of dirt and mud around the floor and the walls covered with stains but the most unpleasant thing was the man looking at them while they were getting naked with his little perverse eyes. Bantira stumbled on purpose and this attracted his attention towards her so the rest could hide their veils of poison, she did the same when he obviously attracted more o the blond women got very closed to Bikadima, she was the one looking nervous the most and gave herself up that everything was troubling her. He just looked at her very closely so she can smell his bed breath and see his bad teeth rotten from tobacco and moved away.  
\- My boss don’t allow me to touch the commodity, but you are very pretty, I haven’t seen blond women very often  
\- You very nice, thank you – Sara smiled at him and he smiled back. While Bikadima was holding her breath  
They gave them new clothes, again like prison uniforms and let them to a common room with a lot of beds where everyone was residing and sleeping. The guard pointed at them the last 3 beds near the window.  
\- You can do whatever, some of the women are on the yard, others just hang out here, but if you try to run I will personally cut your throats off.  
\- So what is going to happen with us? – Bantira asked – Why are we here? We can work you know, we are good workers – she was trying her innocent voice not very convincingly but the guard didn’t saw her in any other way but a slave.  
\- Work you say, we will see what we can do about that – he smiled and left  
There weren’t many women in the room, nothing to do here except sleep, no one was having a personal space or belongings and the one who were there looked drugged.  
\- I know it’s hard for you here but now you have a chance to get it back, revenge and come out victorious and free all those women  
\- Stop imprinting on me stuff, I’m fine and this is just a mission – she cut her off and looked the other way. Sara sighted and looked around trying to study the place and all of it’s exits. The building looked unfinished with wooden ceiling and brick walls. The windows were many and the yard was just grass with bushes where women were sitting on benches.  
\- It’s just a dream paradise, isn’t it – Bantiras aid ironically. The same guard came back and made then a gesture to follow him. He led them through a corridor in to an office in the same building and knocked on the door.  
\- These are the women who want to work – inside on a shabby chair an Indian man with a suit was looking at them. Sara recognized Gahlot from the picture. – They look strong  
\- Ok, I approve – he looked at them very carefully from a distance – Although they look pretty, I would get a good price from them.  
\- I was told they are not virgins, a little bit old, but are fresh and not addicted, they would make good workers  
\- Fine, take them to the field.  
They were brought a couple of miles away to a field where some women were gathering opium buds from a relatively big domain, pure hand work  
\- He is growing his own stuff – Bantira murmured – and is in very advanced stage – the others nodded.  
They gave them a basket and scissors.  
\- Get to work. This is no-brainer – the guard demanded.


	12. Chapter 12

Nyssa, Al Ow-Al and Maseo were held a tour in the big mansion of Ganti, they left out the hallway ornamented with gilt and figures looking gaudy as possible and entered the garden. It had a big terrace and a pavilion from white marble with laced edges and a lot of shrubs and flowers in white clay pods. He obviously wanted to show them something and silently let them through into more shady part with big trees. There in a small cage lied a tiger who rested his head lazily on his paws, but as soon as he noticed them he got agitated and got up. Got near the cage and started to open his mouth showing his teeth. Nyssa’s hearth sunk and she looked with admiration but also pity the poor animal, all his glory and power was caged between these metal bars.

  
\- This is my pride – said Ganti. - I wanted you to see it. Now I prepared your undercover positions in my main guards section, but I don’ have any post for her – he pointed at Nyssa confused. - I don’t have a job for women  
\- Well, you have to find one – Nyssa answered him annoyed but with steady voice. He wondered a little bit and then looked at the tiger again  
\- She can feed the animals – he shrugged and started to leave so he won’t get any objections  
Al Ow-Al looked nervously at Nyssa but she comfort him  
\- There is no bad position when the job is more important. – He nodded.

  
Nyssa was accommodated at the shacks near the animals together with some other male servants. She got a separate place though and this gave her a possibility to wander at night in the garden. The moon was high and reflected on the white marble making the night even brighter. She saw a silhouette of a man to sneak out and followed him. He got out of the fence and followed a small path through the jungle. It looked like he very well know where he is going. He stopped at a small hut where another Indian man was waiting for him. They didn’t exchanged words but some papers and they separated. Nyssa left the man ho came from Ganti’s mansion and followed the other. He took a truck but she managed to pierce his tire right before he started. Then she used her bow and arrows to climb the trees and swing from one to another overtaking him. She put a hunters trap very near the path in to the bushes and waited. This was just couple of miles after the place he started and he stopped because of the tire swearing. He got out of the car, went to see what’s going on and got in the trap. Nyssa has put a poison on the metal bars so when they got in contact with his blood he fainted. She got out her hiding place and took the papers he was given.  
In the morning she presented the evidence to the others who as guards were taking a walk in the zoo part of the garden. Except the tiger Ganti had some annoying monkeys, couple of fat wolves and rabbits probably for food.

  
\- These are names of Ganti’s connections from the import and export, as well as the stock places.  
\- So we got him – Maseo asked  
\- No, this was just some ordinary guard. He is taking orders from someone else – Nyssa answered. We have to find out who. – she made a pause – This monkeys are awfully noisy  
\- At least they are good for decoy.


	13. Chapter 13

The creepy guard continued to follow and sneak into Bikadima under the showers. All the women were taking showers together but it was obvious that he was looking at her. In the second night he waited till all the others left the showers and cornered her in the dressing room. Bikadima froze, there was something broken in her and she saw him coming at her she couldn’t react, her eyes were wide open filled with fear even after all the training she got she couldn’t forget and overcome this trauma. He grabbed her and she felt how her soul leave her body completely numb. Something startled him from behind.

  
\- Hey, what about me, I start to feel offended – Sara was standing there also naked coming out of the showers. She watched the scene for seconds and knew she has to do something but didn’t know what without revealing her undercover.  
\- Well, yeh why not, this one is like a trunk any way – the man made few steps towards Sara and she also froze, like her whole life was passing before her eyes, her innocence, her first boy in school, her nights with Ollie. Then she saw the eyes of Bikadima who were looking at her with immense gratitude and relief. The man grabbed her by the arm and she shivered with disgust but she realized she doesn’t fear him, she was totally in control and she was doing this to protect her friend from the awful experience. The man grabbed her tights with his other arm and then something switched in her. She kicked him on the ankle and stumbled him. He slipped on the wet floor and fell on the ground hitting his head. Bikadima jumped without screaming and got nearer to check him out. He was immovable and a big red spot was forming under his head.  
\- What the fuck did you do. You created a big mess. I thought you are saving me, not getting me even more in trouble  
\- I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I just couldn’t, I couldn’t get through that  
\- I’m sorry, I was selfish – she was immediately regretting her harsh words – I know, I know – tears started to fell her cheeks  
\- Get out of here, I’ll handle it! Go! – Sara demanded. Bikadima left and Sara started to shout  
\- Help, help – most of the guards spoke English even a little so there was no problem communicating. Two guards came in founding Sara already with clothes standing in front of the dead body of the guard – He grabbed me – she started to stutter – and I told him he is not supposed to touch the stock but he grabbed me again and I pushed him, he fell. It was an accident – she was whining. One of the guards hit her on the face but the other started to laugh uncontrollably.  
\- She killed the dirty bastard, I can’t believe it, finally some girl to manage to do that – he continued to laugh while Sara was looking at him startled but also a little amused.  
They took her to the boss’s office. He was standing in front of the window looking at the yard where a couple of very lifeless women were having a walk. Sara was trying to imprint in her that she is in control he can’t do anything to her but still she knew she can’t risk the mission. They had to find the stolen pounds of drugs first.  
\- So you killed my guard? – he wasn’t looking at her but his voice was cold and piercing even with the awful Indian accent  
\- It was an accident – she said calmly. The other guards left the room still laughing and the boss wasn’t turning around. Sara leaned over the desk and saw some documents: he hired 1 big truck for 3 days from now.  
\- I will remember you – he said that while slowly turning around. Sara kept her cool and just took few steps back very slowly.  
Sara returned to the bedroom where Bikadima and Bantira were waiting for her, looking nervously but this wasn’t unusual since all the women around were looking an easy and shattered.  
\- So what happened – Bantira asked  
\- I think he was impressed by me. And I managed to see that he is going to transport something in 3 days. Maybe all the women or the women and the drugs, I don’t know but he booked 1 big truck.  
\- We have to save them – Bikadima whispered in a pitched tone  
\- He was impressed you say – Bantira interrupted – So you find a way to make him trust you and let you in his office again and maybe we will find about where he hides the stolen drugs faster. – Sara nodded  
\- You don’t understand, we can’t leave these women here. They are innocent victims of this awful crime.  
\- And what are you going to do with them? – Bantira was even more nervous. – They don’t have passports, most of them are already drug addicts and a wreckage.  
\- I was like them but Nyssa Al Ghul saved me and made me a soldier – Bikadima protested  
\- Then act like one! This is an order. – Bantira turned around and went to bed  
\- Listen, I’m with you on that. – Sara whispered closely to the other blond woman – We’re gonna save them, we just have to come up with a good plan. Ok – Bikadima was acting unsure – I understand how you feel but this might get us in trouble, we shouldn’t act irrational, I got in a trouble like that once because of my compulsive desire to help. – Bikadima nodded and Sara calmed down.


	14. Chapter 14

Nyssa was sitting on the ground with her legs crossed and her arms resting on her knees. Her eyes were closed but she felt with her every sense the presence of the tiger who was just a few steps away from her in his metal cage, his breath, the air that left his nostrils, every move. She was dressed in common colorful Indian clothes for a servant and with her raven black hair she almost passed as a local but her wither skin complexion and exotic but still different features gave her up that she is not quite from around here.

  
\- Hey what are you doing? – a man disturbed her peace  
\- Quiet! I am feeding the tiger – Nyssa cut him with her sharp voice without turning around or opening her eyes.  
\- Interesting way of feeding him, why are you sitting in front of him aren’t you scared? – the man touched her with one finger on her arm and she turned with fierce look but when she saw him her eyes changed.  
\- Oh you must be the local prince, the boss’s son. I thought you are some of the guards. – Nyssa made the warmest smile she can. She was fluent in a lot of languages and Indian was also one of them.  
\- And you beautiful lady, you are?  
\- Oh, I am just the servant who feeds the animals. Now if you excuse me I have more work to do – Nyssa got up and took a bucket full of food. The tiger in front became an easy and started to stroll.  
\- Actually I know that you are not just a servant – the young man dress in flamboyant rich clothes leaned and whispered in her ear. She looked at him with surprise – I’ve overheard my father saying he will hire an assassin to find out who is stealing from him.  
\- Assassin!? Isn’t that a big word for a woman – Nyssa again smiled trying to be innocent. – No, I am just an ordinary no one. – she walked away but the man followed her with eyes and a big smile.

  
In the night Nyssa took a walk again. She passed by the tigers cage and his bright yellow eyes opened and lighted the night. He noticed her, she got near the cage and felt how he was sneaking the air. They looked at each other for a while and Nyssa closed and opened her eyes very slowly. “I am going to get you out of here”. It was a minute or something but this interaction felt like ages, she climbed the walls of the mansion, got on the roof and from there she found the room of the young boss. She was wearing dark ninja clothes this time which covered her face. From the roof she jumped on the window and sneaked in. The young man wasn’t in his bed, the door was open and she followed the quiet whispering that was coming from outside. In the bigger hall room he was gathered with a group of men sitting in the dark.

  
\- My father won’t suspect a thing. I already know who is the one he hired to expose us. She is sleeping with the servants next to the animals. We take her out tonight and give her to the tiger.

  
Nyssa without making any sound left the room and sneaked in to the chambers were Al Ow-Al and Maseo were sleeping. They were also awake patrolling to see whether someone is sneaking out the mansion.  
\- I found the traitor. It’s the son  
\- Are you sure - Al Ow-Al said – Ganti won’t like that. Nyssa nodded for conformation  
\- He is headed to my hut at the moment. He knows about us.  
They looked at each other and rushed towards the master’s bedroom. He has to be warned. Gahnti was sleeping in a big bedroom with 2 women in his arms with a lot of curtains and scented aromatic sticks that tickled the nose. He was like a real Indian aristocrat who liked luxury in excessive way. When he heard the news he frowned and loudly shouted two men immediately entered the room and also confirmed that his son is no where to be found in the house.  
\- Gather everyone! We are starting a search  
The guards gathered in no time and they all got outside in the gardens to look for the traitor but Nyssa led them to the animal care takers where the young boy and his accomplice were looking for Nyssa.  
\- What are you doing here son? – the boy got startled when he heard his father’s voice but quickly got confidence and posture.  
\- What are you doing here father. I was looking for this woman – he pointed at Nyssa – She is the traitor  
\- On the contrary. I’ve heard that you are the one – his voice was strict and harsh and his men started to surround the son and his men.  
\- But father – he protested in whining voice.  
\- One more time, what are you doing here – he was approaching menacingly and the young man got the smile out of his face and took out his gun, as a command his men did the same as well as Ganti’s. All of them took cover and started to shoot at each outer. Nyssa and her men took out their ninja stars and short swords. They scattered through the field and started to take one by one every one of the shooting party. Ganti felt confident and got out of his cache and openly confronted his son again.  
\- Give up boy, you are not going away with this. – the man shot at him without thinking and the boss waggled in complete surprise, there were more shots and he fell on the ground on his face. A little panic occurred but the fight continued. Nyssa saw that the son started to run on the opposite direction and followed him. She stopped in front of the cage of the tiger who was awake and strolling nervously back and forth. She looked around and didn’t saw the traitor so she neared the cage. “Now is the perfect time my friend.” She took a needle and started to open the key lock. Someone surprised her from behind and knocked her out.


	15. Chapter 15

On the next day they were working on the field and saw the guards drag an almost live man. Sara approached one of the guards and asked about him, he told her that he was lost in the jungle and now the boss will threat him with his special attendance to find out what happened to him

  
\- Hey I can do that, I know science, drugs and shit – Sara said proudly- I can save your efforts – he looked at her from top to bottom with curiosity  
\- You know science, drugs and shit? – he was grinning  
\- Well I was in prison, sooo – Sara dragged her words arrogantly  
\- Hey, boss, this woman knows science drugs and shit, she can torture the man for us – the guard shouted. Gahlot turned around and saw again Sara smiling at him  
\- I wanna work for you, I’ve done this before – Gahlot nodded to her to follow him and started walking after the dragged body. Sara looked at Bantira and Bikadima who were watching her every move and followed the boss. Going under cover wasn’t an easy operation but she had to handle it. They left the opium fields and followed some paths through the jungle to a place that wasn’t distinguished with anything but Gahlot removed a grass herd and underneath there was a wooden cover leading to underground whole. They descent with a rope stairs and the tunnel underneath wasn’t supported with anything but mud. Sara felt some awful smell of disintegrating bodies and decay mixed with moist and dirt. The guard lit the lamps and she saw already death bodies of men tied up on wooden stands. She tried not to look around too much but made a gesture she needs a pen and write down some names of drugs  
\- These are the ingredients I’ll need for my truth serum  
\- We have everything. Bring them – the boss ordered

They tided the man on another trunk and woke him up with a bucket of water. He looked scared and frantically turned around but the sight made his hysteria even bigger. He started to chant something as if he was praying. Sara was left alone with him and she tried to looked around the place more. It seems Ra’s Al Ghul was not the only one who mastered the art of torture but what attracted her attention were couple of wooden cases. She opened one of them and saw the piles of heroine. She found the stolen drugs.  
After half an hour the truth serum was ready and the guard injected it in to the fresh prisoner. He started to ask him question in Indian and he answered immediately. His pupils were dilated and he looked in pain and drugged but his words were clear and sentences short and punctual. Gahlot was pleased. He got his answers without much sweat. Sara was led out of the torture cellars but left alone next to the guards huts before they decide what to do with the wretched man. She sneak in ammunition in the boxes from the drugs and went to the women’s room. No one was seeing her as some kind of threat or capable of planning escape. The jungle surrounding this place was dangerous enough as an obstacle and all of the women here were without any desire to live, survive or move forward, they looked sucked out of life and on auto pilot.

  
\- Tomorrow night we burn the mud wholes with heroine, kill Gahlot and use the trucks to transport the women away from here – Sara was making plans back at the bedroom  
\- No, tomorrow night we burn the drugs and you kill the boss since he trusts you now and we leave the women, this is not part of our task – Bantira corrected her  
\- Nyssa Al Ghul won’t be happy if we leave all these women here in the jungle  
\- After we kill the boss, they will be free  
\- Free how, they will be left to the mercy of the guards and the jungle.  
\- I’ll think about that – Bantira said – It will be my final word  
Bikadima and Sara looked at each other and Sara smiled at her gently and with compassion, trying to reassure her just with eyes that everything is going to be ok, while Bikadima was looking dark as a stormy cloud.  
\- The war is one of the most awful inhuman thing made from humans – Bikadima whispered – where the one who suffer the most are the innocent. People try to hurt and control others all the time. – she made a pause and swallowed – And sometimes is not the terror and horror of the actions while it’s happening, it’s facing the consequences after that. I was just a girl who wanted a better life. Who wanted to escape the war. And then these men offered me a chance to go abroad and earn money as a waitress, little I knew of what were their dark plans. I still remember the moment I gave them my passport so clearly, a beautiful blond man was standing in front of me smiling saying that they want to make same copy for my travelling documents and I just handed it to him, in his partly sweaty palms. I was sitting in a bright room with windows thinking about my grandma who was begging me not to go but I was imagining how I will bring her money and make her life better. I never saw her again.

  
\- I still remember my mother’s face when she told me to follow my heart, smiling. That was the last time I saw her. She thought I was just going on a nice excursion – Sara reached through her blanket and hold Bikadima’s hand – You will see your grandma again  
\- When they locked me up, just a few moments after that story, I was hearing my granda shouting at me how stupid I am, although I still couldn’t believe what was happening and was on a complete denial. – Sara slide her head on the pillow closer to her friend and squeezed her hand harder – I was locked in a basement with no window, no bed or toilet, just cold and wet cement walls and floor, like in the League, but it was so sudden and the contrast was so big. The beautiful blond man with sweaty palms took my life away.  
\- When I was rescued from the boat crash after drifting in the sea for days with no food and water, I ended up on a pirate ship full of men who held other men as prisoners to make experiments on. My helpless body, dressed just with underwear, was dragged in the cold wet deck while I remember was begging and whining for help. They looked at me as a piece of object and locked me in a cell with no words. The exhaustion I was feeling wasn’t enough to ease up the panic that was rising in me, while my whole body was trembling.

  
\- Did they did something to you? Bikadima squeezed her hand in return  
\- I struck a deal with the crazy doctor to help him make experiments on the men he held locked up. That’s how I saved my body but not my soul  
\- I didn’t had that luck  
\- But your soul is clear now, you don’t have men’s screams in your mind at night  
\- I have women’s screams – Sara’s heart stopped for a while and she took a deep breath just to feel that she is still alive. A terrifying image popped up in her mind for a second but she chased it away. She blamed herself for all the terrible things she has done while she was on Amazo for so long but she knew she would have still made the same choice.

The mission was going in plan. Sara drew a map to Bantira where the cellars with the hidden drugs were and after dark they sneaked in out of the bedroom in the yard. Sara sneaked in in the main building where was the office of the boss. In the corridor she encountered the guards who were protecting the place.

  
\- Hey, who’s there  
\- I couldn’t sleep. Can I talk to Gahlot – Sara came out of the dark. The guards grabbed her from both sides and dragged her to his room. Nocked on the door and threw her in  
\- Boss, this rag said she couldn’t sleep. She wants you – they started to laugh.  
\- How is the plan going on. The truck will arrive in an hour. You’ve got time. – he invited her with a gesture.

She entered and closed the door behind her. Before he managed to say anything she spoke  
\- I would like an Indian tea. I’ve heard it’s very good. – he smiled and opened the bar where he kept bags of tea also. She sat on the bad and he handed her a cup of tea and poured himself a glass of whiskey. – Now I would like to discuss my future work here. I want to work for you, be in the special chemist unit, mix drugs, you know, stuff like that and shit – he laughed and the guards from outside laughed too reassured that everything is fine. Gahlot approached the bed but she sneaked in from him and get to the desk where he put his glass. Took out her poisonous vail and with one movement slip the deadly liquid in it. – Let’s drink first – she left the glass and reached for her cup of tea. He smiled again and took his whiskey  
\- I’ll give you one nice talking and future here after that – he sounded demanding, drunk the liquor and grabbed her with all his strength and pulled her in his embrace. Wanted to kiss her on the mouth but she pulled her head and he rested his head in her shoulder after which he started to collapse and convulse. She used his grab and pulled him to his chair and left him there while the muscle spasm ended and his head dropped on one side. She used Nyssa’s approach and imitated couple of sounds of sex, took a little time and left the room. The two guards were still giggling from outside.  
\- He needs a little rest and will be with you guys – Sara told them and she taught that she was getting away easily, when exactly before she passed next to them, one of them grabbed her and pushed her through the closed door.  
\- We want a little something too – she bumped her head on the wood of the door and fell on the bed.

The men were so excited that they didn’t even noticed the lifeless body of their boss on the chair. Sara quickly jumped on her feet, swirled and kicked the one on the head with her leg, grabbed the head of the other and hit it on her knee. He swung a little but the other one grabbed her from behind, Sara hit him with her elbow on his throat and kicked him on the ankle to get away from the grip, then blocked the punches of the man in front of her and managed to grab the knife from his belt. Threw it across the room and the other opponent was down on the ground with the knife protruding from his chests. There was a massive explosion that came from outside and the other got distracted and glance through the window. Sara jumped on the bed and then on his neck, knocked him down and broke his neck with her legs. She looked through the window and saw the explosion coming from the forest and all the guards running in that direction. Now was the perfect time to free the women, she jumped from the window on the roof and saw the truck coming from the different direction. Sara jumped on his roof and then on the front cover. The truck driver was stunned but she quickly opened the door and threw the knife she was caring at him right at his throat. The blood started to spill but she opened the other door and kicked him out. She got out and looked around. It was very silent, really strangely silent. She saw Bantira coming out of the jungle and run towards her.

  
\- What is going on? Gahlot is dead  
\- Good and the drugs are destroyed  
\- Where is Bikadima?  
\- She left me to deal with the plan alone and went to gather the women.  
They both rushed into the bedroom, the women were up looking around nervously wondering what’s going on.  
\- Hey, have you seen my friend – Sara asked – The other blond one  
\- They took her – one of the women, an Indian, answered after a while  
\- Who took her – Sara approached her disturbed  
\- The guards. She came here talking how she is going to save us and take us out of here, then one of the others screamed and the guards came. The took her out  
\- Where they took her – Sara was shouting now  
\- To the village. I’m here for quite a while now. They always took the once who cause trouble to the village but I don’t know where. She tried to fight them but they knocked her out, they overpowered her. I always tell the new comers not to cause troubles but you three just kept to yourselves. – Sara grabbed her head with one hand and looked at Bantira with fear panic and regret at the same time, so many mixed emotions that the League didn’t allowed  
\- Come on, get out! – Bantira shouted – We are taking you out of here – her voice was demanding and they all followed her without hesitation. They loaded them on the truck and left the place. The Indian woman was summoned in front and she guided them to the nearby village.  
\- I’m from here. My uncle sold me to this man because he didn’t had money to marry me or take care of me.  
\- Who live here? – Sara asked  
\- Farmers and men who work for the drug lords in this area. You know some young men get hired from them, they don’t really have a choice. It’s a jungle here, you either adapt and survive or you got eaten by the tiger.  
\- I like that – Bantira smiled and turned at Sara but she was still looking at her with wild serious eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

They stopped the truck in a small street hidden in the dark and got out. Bantira threw at Sara some clothes she took from the guards and they changed quickly. They took the Indian woman with them and left the others in the truck with the order to be quiet.  
\- If anyone knows where your friend is this could be the mayor. He lives in the center. Follow me.- they crossed the whole village in a short time, it was so dark that nothing can be seen. When they reached the center they saw a group of men with flashlights coming from the opposite direction. The Gahlot’s guards were with them.  
\- The man in front is the mayor – the indian woman pointed at Sara and Bantira but they turned around with pointed knifes protecting their backs. There was a figure lurking from behind and they disarmed it with one hit.  
Sarab!? What are you doing here – both of them looked surprised to see their colleague  
\- Al-Ow-Al send me to look for you. What is going on  
\- These men kidnaped Bikadima, we have to apprehend them. – he nodded in agreement and they hid in the corners of the houses trying to escape the light. The apprehended them one by one, catching them from behind and gathered them in a barn which the Indian woman pointed out as a place where everyone was keeping their horses. They tided them up and Sara approached one of the guards who was still in conscious.  
\- Where is the woman – she used her strict and firm voice with no emotions  
\- I don’t know what are you talking about? Who are you people  
\- You are going to find out after I finish with you. I’ll cut every little piece if your body with this little knife, piece by piece I’ll gather it in front of you and let you see your parts on a pile. So stop with your act and tell me where is the woman you took from the women’s bedroom, the blond one, my friend – now she sounded crazy and menacing  
\- I’m not afraid of you and your serum. In comparison to what my boss will do to me if I talk – he was looking at her straight in the eyes, his black eyes had a crazy wild look filled with desperation but also conviction and strength to survive whatever it takes just not to betray his boss  
\- Your boss is dead. I killed him – Sara hissed at him angrily  
\- We gave her to the tiger – a voice from behind whined – That’s what we always do so he won’t attack us. – Sara turned around and she met Bantira’s and Maseo’s eyes looking in shock back at her. The voice came from an old man, the mayor.  
\- Where is this tiger – Bantira shouted still in shock  
\- He lives at the other end of the village. Very near by. Some years ago Gahlot injured him trying to apprehend him but he couldn’t. From then on he lives near the city and attack the villagers. The only time he leaves us alone is when Gahlot give us some of his not usable stock to feed him. – Sara’s face flared from anger and shock but used the adrenaline to rush out of the barn to the end of the village, Bantira and Maseo followed her. They took the flashlights from the guards and lighted their way. The jungle was very thick even at the edge of the village, the grass was wet and leathery and the coarse edges were cutting the bare ankles of Sara and Bantira but they were progressing further.  
\- Over here – Maseo shouted and they jumped towards his direction – I think it’s too late – He removed a big leaf and they saw a sight of a big animal who didn’t looked bothered by them at all eating from his prey, they couldn’t see much in the dark except that it has a blond hair. Sara turned around and covered her eyes.  
\- Are you crying – Bantira leaned concerned over her  
\- No, I am not – Sara’s eyes were completely dry but her Pupil was at the top of her eye, looking crazy and menacing she stormed out. When they managed to reach her she was back at the barn where she left the guards and the other men from the village who participated in this outrageous act. She entered the room looking like a creature coming from hell, she had cuts on her cheeks and hands from the sharp plants in the jungle, mud all over mixed with blood, her hair was down, messy and wet and she was still wearing her prison clothes looking like a plain pajama. Her face was pale on the dim light inside and her eyes were looking but not seeing. In her right hand she was holding a small knife which she put in front of her and with one swing she circled the place and slaughtered every men in the room. The blood spurt and spilled all over her, no one had a chance even to scream but she managed to see the fear of the eminent death in the eyes of every one of her victims.  
\- Now there will be enough food for the tiger at least for couple of seasons – she grinned  
\- Ta-er al-Sahfer, nooo – Maseo shouted but he was late – Why did you do that? – he was looking around the death tided bodies in disappointment  
\- The League don’t hold prisoners – she answered coldly  
\- But these were just ordinary men with families and children  
\- Come on now, you were perfectly ok for me to kill the old man in Siberia, but you have trouble with this. Or an old white man is not exactly the thing you identify with. – she was searching for his look but he looked down and escaped the confrontation.  
\- I still don’t think that was right – he answered and left the barn  
\- I know I should be proud – Bantira started while they were leaving the village with the rest of the women to go the main camp where Al-Ow-Al was waiting for them – But you became pretty dark  
\- You expected something different  
\- You are not the one I had that fist mission in Paris with  
\- I am what I need to be. – Sara sounded firm – I don’t need to follow some mutual moral rules that don’t mean anything in the world we live in any way  
\- So you risked a lot to save bunch of unknown women but were fine with killing the men in the village who were also victims of the same mafia boss  
\- No, they were not victims, these men worked for him voluntarily, they might think they didn’t have a choice but they did. Every dictator and a powerful man become such only because of the people who follow him and allow him to do his atrocities. These men have the same guilt as he, they had the power of the masses to say no but they preferred to get the comfort of his authority and money. So no, they were not innocent victims. – Bantira looked at her own hands and shook her head  
\- In the same way we work for Ra’s Al Ghul  
\- Yeh, no one will suddenly forgive us just because we were following his orders. Everything we do is on us.

The women followed them silently but slowly and were slowing down the mutual pace. Maseo was leading the herd and the others were following them. It was starting to get bright. The sun was rising but in the deep forestation of the jungle the sunlight was difficult to penetrate. Nyssa was right, everything here was out to get you, just like in the real world with predators and threads you don’t see. Sara was making sure that all the women are fine and that they can follow them, she was looking at them, all young and beautiful, maybe smart, there is no way to tell, but they all looked like zombies in the dim light of the sunrise. Their eyes looked death and their bodies tired and weak. Bikadima was like them once but she managed to survive this, to became a soldier a fighter, but she lost the final battle and now her bones will forever remain in this far far land, this could have been her, eaten by a tiger, helpless in front of the strength of the nature and it’s forces.

  
\- I don’t want to die here – Sara heard a quiet moan – Where are you taking us  
\- You are not going to die! No one is going to die! We are taking you to safety.  
When they reached camp, Sara saw Al-Ow-Al sitting around the dying fire and jumped  
\- Where is Nyssa? – she almost screamed  
\- She couldn’t make it – he answered with an even voice – She got captured by Gandi.  
\- What we have to go there and save her  
\- Who are these – the leader didn’t bothered with Sara’s demand and pointed toward the women  
\- These are the women we saved from the slaves camps – Bantira answered  
\- This was not part of the plan  
\- Neither was leaving the daughter of the Demon in the hands of the enemy – Sara interrupted  
Al-ow-al didn’t answered but with silent nod called Maseo to follow him in a distance from the others.  
\- I have to go to deal with another mission. You deal with this  
\- Yes, leader – Maseo answered bowing  
Al-ow-al took some small bag and left.  
\- So what is the situation? Why is he leaving? – it was obvious that Sara was on the verge of her physical and mental strength  
\- I am sorry about your friend but we have to thing rational here – Maseo answered – We have to take care for this women, take them to town, hospital, find their embassy.  
\- Yes, that’s right. You and Bantira deal with that. Just give me details on Nyssa’s situation and I’ll deal with this.  
\- She got captured by Gandi junior. It turned out he is the traitor. – Sara looked really worried and annoyed  
\- So you are telling me this now?! – Maseo saw that Bantira got occupied with the women and whispered  
\- Why do you want to save her? This is your chance to get free from the League?  
\- What?  
\- They haven’t told you? If your direct leader dies you are granted the possibility to run and if they don’t catch you, you are free. This is your only way out and you look like someone who hasn’t joined voluntarily.  
\- That’s interesting, no they haven’t told me this but I am not leaving Nyssa to die. That’s it.  
\- After she send you on this mission where you could have gotten raped, killed or drugged  
\- She send me on this mission so I can help these women, she knows I care and she cares too. She believes enough in me to know that all those things won’t happen to me.  
\- Fine it’s your call. Here is the map of the Gandi’s mansion. I’m sure you can handle it alone.  
\- Sure, we’ll meet in the city.


	17. Chapter 17

Nyssa woke up by something strong heavy and warm touching her body, it was soft but rough at he same time. She opened her eyes slowly and saw the ground and the dirt in front of her, supported her body with one arm and lifted herself up. That’s when she saw the giant tiger in front of her. He was standing there just a few steps away sitting on his back paws, resting. He was staring at her even though he licked his paw from time to time. Nyssa looked around and saw that she is in his cage. She tried not to panic and remained extremely calm but slowly got her back on the fence and didn’t took her eyes off of him. He didn’t look like he was about to attack her but she had to be sure.  
\- How you feeling assassin woman – a lough came from outside and got near. It was Gandi – I hope you are very comfortable.  
\- Yes, sure, couldn’t be better – Nyssa faked a smile  
\- I saw you and the tiger are friend so I thought you want to share an accommodation. Don’t worry, I don’t give him food so your misery will end soon. – Nyssa felt like a drop pf sweat dropped from her forehead but she didn’t gave up her uncomfortable feeling at all.  
\- I’ll be honored to be eaten by such magnificent creature and worthy opponent, not like his master. – Gandi was talking with very polite voice till now when he changed his tone with anger and disdain  
\- You, you little bitch has something against me. Do you know who am I. I rule this part of the world and you are nothing.  
\- So why don’t you face me like a ruler and a man and kill me yourself with dignity  
His face became red and he got near the fence and opened the door of the cage and reached to grab Nyssa but the tiger got between them and with one swing of his paw made Gandi fall on the ground. The tiger approached even further to get out pushing Nyssa on the back but the guards locked him on time.  
\- Well, you are lucky it seems the tiger got on my way of killing you – Gandy got up thumbing his clothes from the dust and walked away. Nyssa sighted disappointed in the cage, she was that close of getting out and killing him.  
She sat down and relaxed, the tiger got near and sniffed her, then crawled in her feet and started to purr. Every cat is the same, Nyssa pat him on the tummy and he started to lick her hand with his big rough tongue. She spent the night there curled with him, Gandi wasn’t giving him food but he didn’t showed any signs he wants to eat her. There is something he probably missed, tigers can pass days without having food. In the night she heard some noise and opened her eyes. She herself was like the cats, sleeping very lightly and noticing everything around her. She saw a dark figure silhouette trying to open the cage, the tiger noticed her too and was looking in that direction with his yellow shining eyes.  
\- Nyssa, it’s me – she heard a familiar voice. Nyssa jumped quickly but saw another figure jumping from the dark at her rescuer’s back. Sara was attacked from behind and pushed in the cage which got locked  
\- Another perpetrator! Gandi will be delighted in the morning– said the guard  
\- Amazing, Canary! Good work! How many times did I told you to mind your surroundings. This was the best rescuing ever. – Nyssa rolled her eyes, Sara was still without breath looking surprised to what just happened. She saw the tiger and glued to the fence holding it with both her hands wildly looking at the animal which was calmly starting to move  
\- Nyssa, you have to get out of there, quickly, there is a tiger behind you – Sara said in a quiet but fill with panic voice with wide open eyes.  
\- I know, relax, he is friendly  
\- No he isn’t! He is a wild animal who sees us as a prey, it’s in his nature. There is no thing as a friendly hungry cat! – Sara was still very tense and couldn’t relax. Nyssa got near her and hold her hand  
\- So what, whether we are going to get killed by this crazy man or a hungry tiger it’s not big difference. At least this will be natural  
Sara slipped to the ground and covered her eyes.  
\- I’ve just witnessed how my friend was eaten by a tiger. There is nothing natural about that.  
\- You eat meat don’t you. Even though you know it what poor conditions the animals were bred you still by burgers or meat at the market.  
\- So you are shaming me as a consumer that I have needs and want to satisfy them and not the companies who take care of animals in an awful way. In the same way are you going to tell the cats, dogs and any other meat eating creature that they should stop eating animals cause the earth is dying because of greedy corporations and men on top. Men that have the power to change the society but don’t want to  
\- At least you forgot about the tiger – Nyssa caressed Sara’s hand more softly and kneeled next to her  
\- Are you flirting with me, Nyssa – Sara smiled – Just before our fate of getting eaten by a tiger  
\- Well I love women, can you blame me – she sat next to her  
\- And I love you for that  
\- I am sorry about your friend, what happened – Nyssa looked at Sara tenderly and with sympathy  
\- These men concurred the jungle and take away from the habitat of the tigers and his prays and when he came to attack them they started to give him women for dinner – Sara covered her eyes again – We barely talked with Bikadima but I still felt her as a friend. I felt comfort knowing that she found a new life here in the League where she was happy, and now she is gone, died as a victim while trying to save other victims. – Nyssa looked in front of her shocked and squeezed Sara’s hand even more thinking that this will make her feel better. – I’m so tired. I haven’t slept in awful amount of hours  
\- Have a sleep. I’ll be on a watch – Sara crawled into Nyssa’s arms like a baby and slept for hours. No one was coming for them though even when the sun came up and Sara woke up from hunger and thirst. The tiger was feeling the same too and started to get anxious.  
\- I’m going to get you out of here – Nyssa said in comforting voice  
\- Are you saying this to him or to me – Sara murmured  
\- Both – Nyssa smiled  
Sara squinted nervously and tried to get up but just sat. The tiger started to stride and Sara shivered  
\- I don’t want to die like that  
\- Don’t worry, you have very big survival instinct  
\- Yeh, I’m not a hero who will sacrifice herself for others  
\- Strangely I saw you exactly like that. – Sara smiled  
\- What about you  
\- I wouldn’t sacrifice myself for other too, but for you I’ll do anything  
\- I know, better rescue than my lame one for sure, she smiled. If Sarab can see us now, he will be laughing out loud.  
\- He is a fine man  
\- OO, MIs Al Ghul, you like him – Sara joked  
\- Not like that – Nyssa made a grimace  
\- So you never liked men, you never felt intrigued by anyone.  
\- Intrigued, yes, liked liked, no. I know I live in place very far from modern society and I was equally surrounded by men and women but I never had interest in men, women on the other hand gave me a completely different feeling when I was around them so it always felt natural for me. I knew that in the nature it’s different but in our organization we don’t do marriages and relationships anyway, have kids and pleasure is something I thought I deserve. What about you?   
\- I like them both. I haven’t dated a woman before but I always liked women and felt attracted to them. I had a lot of girl friends and girl gangs. I had couple of boyfriends but Oliver is the first boy I felt in love with.  
\- So I am privileged to be the first woman – Nyssa smiled cunningly  
\- Yes you are- Sara giggled. – You are the most unique and unusual woman I can possibly meet.  
\- What a beautiful conversation – they were interrupted by Gandi irritating hissing through his teeth – Me myself, I hate women – he turned towards his guards- Get the blond out! I have to leave so I’ll end up you misery faster but still beautiful exotic tiger servant you will see how I will kill your girlfriend – he was talking angry on the verge of explosion. The guards dragged Sara and Nyssa out of the cage and put a rope around Sara’s neck. – I sentence you to death by hanging. Isn’t that the way women like you were killed in Europe in the middle centuries, witch? – Sara was struggling to get out of the grip but the men holding her were stronger. Nyssa was held just in front of her trying to escape too, her panic was starting to get over her.  
\- Why are you doing this – Nyssa was shouting  
\- I’m gonna kill you – Sara hissed menacingly  
\- Really, bitch, really. You destroyed my whole plan. But I am going to enlighten you now. I had a perfect plan with Gahlot, we were going to be partners and I was going to take over my father’s place. You probably think he was a monster for keeping women as slaves but he loved women, he enjoyed the pleasure they were giving, they are created for this purpose, me I hate them for the same reason. You all think you are so powerful and demanding with your beauty and sex appeal, wearing this sexy clothes showing you faces everywhere so men will think about you all the time, having you, loving you, making sex, but nothing is for free, is it?! Is it?! – he was shouting and spitting in Sara’s face which was in agony from the rope tight on her neck – You don’t give your love just like that. You just tease men, make them miserable and excited and to do stupid things for you and then you leave us in the mud with our erection alone, watching some picture on a magazine. You search for equality by promoting your sexuality, but to whom are you promoting it to? To men who just seeing your breasts get excited? You will never be equal to men cause they will always see you as sex objects, at least these women knew their place and where they belong. And you trash is giving your love to another woman. You disgust me – Nyssa was watching the man holding Sara’s face shouting at her with the same feeling disgust, but she saw how Sara’s hand stole a short sword from the belt of the guard right before he dropped her and started to pull the rope so she will hang on the tree. This was the sign she was waiting for. Sara hanged and swung the sword at the same time and cut the rope. She dropped on the ground and kicked the guard standing on her left side and punched the one on her right side. Nyssa freed herself instantly too and grabbed Gandi who looked surprised and terrified trying to run. She put him on his knees and Sara circled to get in front of him still holding the sword. Her face was calm now with eyes showing no emotions but mere coldness.  
\- Great that you enlightened me! You and I we are not so different. You hate women, I hate men like you – she swung the sword and with one swish she cut his head off while Nyssa was holding him steady. The limb rolled over on the ground and stopped at the tiger’s cage who was looking with curiosity. The body fell on the ground as big bag of potatoes. The other guards run away and Nyssa just looked at their direction with a little annoyance. She went over to the cage and released the tiger. The animal jumped from the door looked around and by grabbing the body of Gandi started to retreat towards the exit of the estate. He just stopped for a second turned around and looked at Nyssa, then grabbed his prey again and left.


	18. Chapter 18

Sara and Nyssa were sitting at the stone bench outside the Hindi temple in the jungle. Sara was eating a pine apple resting in Nyssa’s arms while a monkey was trying to steal her food. Both women were at peace now, they escaped the mafia war and now were gathering their strengths. Sara was wearing some Indian colorful clothes she bought from a market and Nyssa was covered in a expensive scarf.  
\- You shouldn’t let the words of this man get to you. He is just a narrow minded bigot of a world which is still centuries behind  
\- I don’t, but the sad thing is that there is no difference in what world the crime comes from, it’s even more scary when you realize that this modern world with political correctness still has crimes against women and sex slavery. Who do you think were buying these women?  
\- We can fight against that, but now we need a rest  
\- Shouldn’t we go back to the city and find Bantira and Sarab. They are probably waiting for us.  
\- They probably have a lot of work to find place for the women we rescued so I think we have a few days off. – She played with her hair naughty and kissed her on the neck.  
The temple was beautiful, full with golden statues of Gods and colorful creatures with a pool in the middle with 2 big fountains. A lot of ornaments and laces were covering the façade. Inside there were many candles and scented sticks filling the air. At this time there weren’t many people and only the monkeys were making company of the two women. They were sited next to a golden statue of a lion with a grotesque face expression.  
\- Honestly I can’t wait to go home – Sara sighted. Nyssa leaned over and looked at her straight in the eyes with curiosity  
\- Home?  
\- Yeh, to bathe in the hot jacuzzi and relax in the mountain air  
\- You haven’t called Nanda Parbat your home so far – Sara smiled and kissed her tenderly  
\- My home is where you are – she caressed her hair like she loved to do – You know I will never stop thinking about my family but I am old enough to have my destiny now. I hope some day we can leave the League and have our home together, just the 2of us – she was searching for Nyssa’s eyes but she was escaping them  
\- You know that can’t happen, My destiny is to the League. This is where I belong, where I am bound to  
\- I know, a girl can dream though.  
\- Come on – Nyssa got up and handed Sara a hand – Let’s go and have a good time while we are way from missions and leaders.

In Delhi Bantira and Maseo has arranged for the women to be accepted in a rehabilitation medical center of the red cross. They also got the task to connect woth their embassies and find their passports. Nyssa and Sara found them in the hotel, where the League usually stays, preparing their luggage.  
\- I can’t wait to get out of this city, all of this dust and smell from people peeing on the street- Nyssa entered the room with this words like a queen. Bantira and Maseo stopped for a while surprised  
\- You are back? You are ok, everything is fine  
\- Why wouldn’t it be – Nyssa looked serious – So everything arranged on your side  
\- Yes, it is – Maseo answered, but we have another mission, we have to extract one of our guys, a hacker from Iraq, the news came from Al Ow Al.  
\- Sounds great! Well since I am here I am leading it. You will tell me all about it on the way.

They had to extract one of their people a hacker who was infiltrated in Iraq for important mission and now had a lot of valuable information. The borders were a nightmare, hours of long lines of people and cars and animals had to pass through military men both from Iraq and US who were guarding certain territories, actually the military men were everywhere on the road, stopping for check. Nyssa gave Sara a scarf and told her to cover her head. It wasn’t allowed for women to show their hair in this part of the world and they had to follow the rules. It has always been really contradictory the idea of the hijab and the burka. Sara never understood whether it is oppression for women or they feel connected with their religion in this way and accepted it. The bigger problem is that women’s rights always changed depending on who rules and religion was used as an excuse to hold their rights against them. Everybody suffered in these wars though, men too, the poverty was visible everywhere and Sara couldn’t even imagine how this people are living in this constant game with life and death. On one road block they had to wait for a herd of goats to pass but although the situation was intense these animals brought some kind of peace and calmness, they were totally unaware of what was going on, just stopping from time to time to search for grass and then continuing, one goat stopped in front of an US army man and tried to bite his rifle. She noticed quickly that this is not for eating and continued. The man was like an immovable branch and didn’t even made a gesture but Sara could see how his eyes changed, they went soft and a little teary. He must miss home very much, but he signed to serve for better cause. The question was: was this really making anything better and whether his presence was making any sense and not actually things worse. The car was stopped on another road block from local army and a man approached them. Maseo was driving while the 3 women were on the back seat. He was surprised to see so many different foreigners and looked at them and their passports very carefully. Then he called another man and after discussing something approached them. Maseo was trying to look calm but his nervousness was visible. Nyssa noticed that and saw the military men saw it too. She walked out of the car and both Bantira and Sara looked at her surprised. She approached the men very confidently and told them something in Arabic. They shouted something and pointed towards the trunk. It was searched a lot of times so far, they weren’t carrying any weapons. Nyssa opened it and they started to look through it. One of them looked at them very suspicious but Nyssa again said couple of words and he calmed down. They let them go.  
\- What did you told them? What happened? Is it allowed for women to talk to men openly?  
\- I’m not from their world and they know it, I was just very diplomatic – she smiled mysteriously


	19. Chapter 19

In the night they reach the border of a small base where their hacker was being held. It was dark but the sky full of million stars was making things visible, the light beige sand and rocks in the dessert was also giving light to other wise magical landscape totally unaware of the humans struggles and deeds. The sky was like a big dome hanging over them with million flickering lights like gold dispersed in a black coal mine, you just wished to dip your hands into it and gather them in one place, and while they looked so close they were so far away, if you just look above you can get lost and find your way in the same time, really fascinating.  
\- Focus on the mission. We don’t know what is the situation so someone should go and investigate. – Sarab. Then we have to think of a plan.  
\- We don’t have any weapons? – argued Maseo  
\- We don’t need weapons. We are the weapons, remember?!  
Maseo came back with the news – 10 men were guarding the bunker with machine guns and there was a storage where they were keeping arsenal.  
\- We can blew up the place but then we risk our guy too. So we have to take them out one by one. Separate into two groups: Sarab and Bantira will take out the man guarding the arsenal storage and see what’s inside. Me and Ta-er al-Sahfer will take the rest on the back and get inside. We have to be completely silent so we won’t alarm the rest. – all nodded with agreement.  
Sara proceeded in the shadows following Nyssa crawling in the sand. Their black league attire was a little bit more visible in the white sand so they had to compensate with hiding behind mounts of sand. Sara felt the adrenaline hit her a little and her heart started to pound but she managed to control it pretty fast. She has already been in a lot of missions and the danger and death was part of her everyday life, she was used to taking men’s life and she knew it’s either them or her, but now she pretty well knew that these men were goners, soldiers in these wars has probably made peace with their faith and if she imagined them as just some faceless goons, pawns in someone else game, the task of eliminating them was even easier. Well there was always the danger that some of these pawns might hit her too, no matter that she wanted to see herself as the queen now she very well realized that she was also just a pawn in someone else game. She approached one of the guards from behind, he didn’t even noticed her, took out her truncheon and used it as a toll to break his neck from behind. Her bo staff who could separate into two truncheons were her favorite weapon when she didn’t needed to spill blood. It was like a sword but bigger so she could swing it and double the strength of her hits. Then she took her bow and hit the other guard who just looked at her with an arrow right before he wanted to shoot at her and make a noise. Nyssa eliminated the other two guards from the other side and they met at the back door of the bunker. She opened the door with a device for locks and they were in. It was a dark place with no windows full of computers and men sleeping on the floor. Nyssa commanded her with no words to guard the door and started to search the place. Sara noticed one woman and her heart jumped, what is she doing here, how she ended up in this place, maybe they have to rescue her too, but then she realized how hypocritical this was. She didn’t knew anything about her and yet she wanted to save just her based on her gender despite the fact that maybe all of the other unаware sleeping men might want out of this too, they were here to save their hacker cause he is important, all the others were inconsequential and didn’t mattered. Nyssa with couple of jumps found the man she was looking for, kneeled over him, put her one hand on his mouth the other on her with the sign to be quiet and he followed her. They left the place and Sara shook off the idea of wanting to save the others, swallowed it and left. With every mission she gathered more and more guilt which balanced the satisfaction she was feeling. They reunited with the others and proceeded fast to leave the scene. When they reached a rock mountain they stopped to make a camp. The rock was smooth with many curves and fluent wholes and bumps with orange yellow color contrasting on the pale sand. It was beautiful despite the raw nature. The desert once was part of the ocean and all those rocks were smoothed from the water million years ago. Bantira and Sara gathered some woods and lit a small fire, they were hidden from the rock and the direction of the wind was dispersing the wind on the other direction so there was no way to be spotted. The hacker, a young man on his twenties, skinny tall blond with absolutely undeniable nerd features was warming his hands on the fire looking at the his new pals with astonishment.   
\- I can’t believe I’m back with you guys, I never thought I would be so happy to be back at the league but you have no idea what was it like to live in that bunker for the last 2 years. It was, it was like prison – he was shaking from excitement  
\- Don’t get so emotional now Damagh, you are still part of the league and I hope you haven’t forgotten how to behave  
\- His name is brain – Sara whispered to Bantira giggling – Suiting, his head looks twice as big  
\- Don’t be silly – Bantira chuckled too, Sara’s moods were starting to get over her and she wasn’t the same tense soldier Sara’s met 2 years ago  
\- Yeh, yeh, sure – Damagh cough – I’ll get in form, It’s just that I haven’t talked to anyone for ages, seen the sky  
\- What is this now, you are speaking polish. Have a rest and in the morning you are going to tell us about the important information.  
\- I miss Poland, I miss my home town – he said as an answer but Nyssa’s look made him completely regret it.  
\- She’s changed – Bantira whispered to Sara – Before she would have punished him couple of hits and sleeping outside on the cold for this weakness, now she is just letting him be.  
\- Maybe she realized that hard ways are not the only ways to make your men loyal and sometimes humanity also wins  
\- Maybe you thought her that – Sara smiled – She has always had it inside her, that’s why I fell for her.


	20. Chapter 20

The mission took them to Dahab, a small tourist city on the Red sea in the Asian part of Egypt. A lot of tourist went there for scuba diving because of the beautiful coral riffs and the life and trade was booming. People lived there modestly with not so many money but that was enough to make them happy. They valued the nature and what it provided, further from the sea there was only desert, very harsh environment but still the Bedouins preferred to keep their ancient way of life and not change it. They lived in small villages in the desert in stone houses with no roof, breeding goats and women sewing beautiful scarfs, bracelets and carpets. Actually the local trade was all over the city and around the sightseeing spots of women selling their home made jewelry. Sara was astound how beautiful and colorful everything was. In Dahab the main walking area was the sea street which was full of shops and restaurants and people inviting you to get in and try their things. Damagh glued to Sara as a bee on a honey and didn’t stopped talking through the whole journey.  
\- My father was a mountain guide, he made a lot of excursions through the mountains and took me with him during my childhood. And you know who was his most regular clients: women – working professional women, women with children, young students women, you know people who didn’t had the confidence to go to places alone and wanted someone to guide them, to be easy, to have everything organized so they shouldn’t worry about anything. I can’t understand why someone would want to take the privileges of women and think with this would achieve something better. – He made a pause, sighed and looked at Sara guilty for what he just said – Well people here are good people, they don’t hate and are very generous unlike the outside world thinks, it’s the war and the oppressors who gives the bad reputation, other than that their religion is just like ours  
\- And what is that – Nyssa interrupted him  
\- Christian, you know. – he quickly realized the mistake and corrected himself – Well of course our League religion, hehe – he laugh nervously – I’ve met a lot of good people here, smart – he continued, but I miss Poland, the mountains, the green – Sara was looking through the window and trying not to pay him attention but he continued on and on  
\- Why are you doing this – she asked at the end  
\- Making friends – he answered timidly  
\- Well don’t – she didn’t said that in a bad snarky way but just cold.

The group stayed at a hotel on that street with amazing view towards the see guarded only by two big palm trees. Sara didn’t waited for the others to unpack and rushed outside holding Nyssa by her hand.  
\- Let’s have a walk, buy stuff, waste some time  
\- Ok, what the hell – Nyssa smiled  
They entered a lot of shops and bought a blanket from camel’s fur, some souvenirs for which Nyssa was very amazed why would Sara want so useless stuff and some scarfs.   
\- Look, we can go diving tomorrow – she suggested  
\- We’ll see, let’s go back and see the others.  
Bantira and Maseo were on the balcony discussing stuff  
\- So you two are on your honey moon now or what – Bantira tried to mock them but Nyssa didn’t even cared  
\- Well if I want to be on a honey moon I will. So we have to discuss the mission  
\- A man disappeared in the desert a few days ago, he is very important businessman and we have to find him – said Damagh  
\- So no time for scuba diving?  
\- Actually he was signed in one of those scuba centers who organized his excursion and we have to go undercover in it. We don’t know who we can trust.  
\- That sounds like a good plan, I’ll look in to the details – Nyssa took the documents and while she was checking the evidences Damagh continued with the short version  
\- The man’s name is Walter Brukman and he is from US. The Egyptian government doesn’t want a scandal so they want us to find him  
\- So no assassinating anyone this time?  
\- Are you disappointed Ta-er al-Sahfer? You developed your assassination skills very well recently –Maseo smiled at her ironically  
\- I am just trying to be a good soldier, anything you want to say to me Sarab? –she looked at him trying to be intimidating  
\- No, not at all, but just a reminder that assassination and slaughter is a different thing  
\- Tell this to Ra’s Al Ghul  
\- Enough! – Nyssa stood up – Figure out your problems since we are not going to tolerate conflicts

Sara and Nyssa were sitting in the café in the diving center early in the morning waiting for their diving instructor drinking bedouin tea, a very strong black tea in the bright morning sun watching a lazy sleeping cat stretching her legs on one of the chairs. It’s fur so thick and fluffy was polluting the air with fluff while Nyssa was petting it.  
\- She is so cute, what a little nose and whiskers.  
\- Oooo, I haven’t seen you to go so cheesy on something.  
\- Come on, you don’t feel the same  
\- I’m more of a dog person, although I do agree with you, this one is adorable, but you are more – Sara caressed her hand petting the cat.  
\- I am definitely a cat person, a woman sitting in front cut in the conversation. I have a lot of cats  
\- Really – Nyssa was intrigued  
\- I have 4 cats, all living with me in my apartment. – the woman was middle aged with British accent, very white skin with freckles all over and nice warm eyes.  
\- Are you here on a vacation – Nyssa asked – I’m Katrina by the way and this is my girlfriend Clara  
\- Nice to meet you, I’m Susan. Are you on a honeymoon.  
\- Oh, no not yet – Nyssa smiles and Sara was just captivated by her shining eyes.  
\- I am in love with this place – Susan said – I come here every year as an escape from my world and leave my cat’s with my daughter. I feel like I am in some kind of trance through the other part of the year. Everyday in front of that computer and the life just slips with me doing meaningless to me work, reading forums or watching funny youtube clips. It’s like I’m part of that machine too and at night I put myself on sleep mode.  
\- I wish I would know what you are talking about- Nyssa was honest  
\- Well, you are young enough, the boring and mundane everyday routine hasn’t gotten into you yet, I suppose. But if you really want to make the most of this holiday, you have to sigh yourself for Mustafa’s excursion in the desert. Not many knows about that but it’s good cause it’s not the same when it’s crowded, but I ‘m telling you  
\- Thank you – Nyssa dragged her words and smiled sincerely  
The driving instructor came and gave them some papers to read and sign and then made them very short introduction of they would experience. Nyssa said that she already have a certificate of a diver and that she will accompany Clara as an experienced buddy on the diving. They gave them suits and equipment and helped them prepare. It was very hard to put on the wet suit on since it was very elastic and glued to the skin, Sara was struggling making funny noises while Nyssa was laughing  
\- Is there something that you can’t do? – she was shaking her head. - I’m dying to see you unexperienced in something  
\- Good luck with that. I guess I am unexperienced in wasting time in front of a computer, reading twitter, although sometimes you can gather very important information about your targets there. – Sara laughed – Come on did you put that suit on already  
Then the instructor gave them the buoyancy jackets with which they controlled, going up and down the water on which the gas bottle was tied with the regulator. It was heavy, they put all that in the diving center which was just across the street from the sea and carried their flippers and masks.   
\- I feel like I am going in space – Sara continued to laugh  
\- Just remember, never stop breathing and equalize your ears – Nyssa gave her last instructions. – I’ll be right behind you

They put the flippers on the water, spit on the glass of the masks so it won’t get blurred and were ready to go. Down there was a completely different world, the water was immensely blue and the coral riffs were full of colorful life, so many different kinds of fishes and mussels with blue margins. Everything was like from a fairy tale, calm and slow while things were happening too fast, surrounded only by water and gardens of corals. Sara was watching all that life with owe just trying to forget everything outside. For a moment she looked up and panicked, she saw the amount of water above her and the sun light piercing it’s rays through the layers, this reminded her of her drowning experience and she started to breathe very chopped and to paddle through the surface. Nyssa noticed that, hold her and gave her a sigh with hands to calm down and breathe deeply. They resurfaced and Sara took out the regulator and the mask and breathed heavily.  
\- What’s wrong? Are you ok?  
\- I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I panicked for a while  
\- You have to overcome your fear from the water, sooner or later  
\- I know, I know  
When they came outside Sara was already calm and happily smiling:  
\- It was amazing, so beautiful  
\- Yes, right, like you are flying in another world  
\- Yes, yes – they were both swaying, holding the big bottles with a big smile on their faces.  
\- So aren’t we going to ask what Walter Brukman was doing here, who are his enemies.  
\- The hacker is checking this now, we just have to follow this lead with the secret excursion in the desert, we don’t want to miss it. – Sara shook her head and proceeded with getting of the wet suit off of her. Again this was the most difficult and funny moment, she was making all kind of noises and postures so Nyssa helped her.  
\- So what was Sarab talking about – she looked at her hesitantly to start this conversation – something went wrong in the jungle  
\- No, I did my job, people are just not used to see women not being timid and scared and totally in control, but I don’t care, I’ll change the world even if this means to step on the bodies of my enemies – she said that and she finally released her leg from the suit which Nyssa was pulling  
\- Great, I love the sound of that, so I’ll join you then.  
When they got back at the hotel Damagh greeted them with a new information  
\- Walter Brukman is a businessman from the oil business. He came in the middle east for a big deal and came in Dahab for a vacation after that. There are a lot of people and organizations who would be affected by his deal, I’ve made a list and printed his deal for you – he handed the document to Nyssa but was looking at Sara – So how was the scuba, I so much envy you guys  
\- Where this joke came from – Bantira looked annoyed and cringed at him.  
\- It was great – Sara was a ray of sunshine though, smiling and happy, Nyssa felt initially attracted to her and hugged her around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. She wasn’t afraid to show her affections, she was the daughter of the Demon and as long as he wasn’t bothered she was able to do whatever she wanted. No one really tried to cross her, she was only second to him and was able to defeat even the best leaders in the organization, she could have made the life hell of anyone if she wanted so people try to be on her good side. But she was very respected and good leader and people liked her, some said that she has developed and became a better person now. Damagh looked sheepishly at this scene and answered  
\- I would love to go too if there is time.  
\- We are going for the desert – Nyssa interrupted – We’ve made contact with a local guide whit whom Walter also hired, so we can’t miss him. You can scuba after the mission Damagh, sorry.


	21. Chapter 21

They packed only the necessary things for the trip and early in the morning were picked by a truck with the guide from the scuba center. Except Nyssa’s party, there was the woman they met – Susan. She was very exuberant and she and Damagh get a long very well. She started singing through the whole car trip and Sara and Damagh joined her too. Sara tried to urge Nyssa to sing too but her Bantira and Maseo had this very serious faced looking grumpy.   
\- We are under cover, remember – Sara mocked her but she was having a good time and Damahg looked dazzled by her aura.   
The trip took them through the desert again, it was just an empty black road through the yellow even sand all through the whole horizon. At the end they reached a small Bedouins village in the middle of the desert. It was consistent of couple of brick, stone houses with straw roofs and no doors and windows just holes in the structure. There were a lot of kids running in the dust together with dogs and small goats, dressed poorly with little girls wearing scarfs on their heads but playing all the same games together with the boys. A man dressed in a white robe with a scarf on his head with a specific check came to meet them. He invited them to his home and in the yard couple of women took out carpets and pillows, invited the guests to sit and served black tea. After that looking at them through their scarfs, that were partly covering their faces, with curiosity they spread a lot of goods to sell: bracelets, scarfs, herbs, wallets, everything hand made with a lot of colorful fabric and beats. Sara looked at everything with curiosity, she might be a League but she didn’t wanted to deny herself the pleasure to explore the world and different cultures and extraordinary nature, she didn’t felt strange or out of place anymore. Travelling and meeting new people were her norm and she smiled at the women and started to bargain with them. They were all eager for her to buy from them and invited her to look through their stuff and she bought bracelets and herbs from all of them.  
\- What are you going to do with all that – Bantira looked at her a grumpy smile  
\- It doesn’t matter, more important is what they are going to do with the money I gave them  
\- So you are doing it for some kind of charity  
\- Look at them. This is their life, their everyday communication is with tourists who will come and appreciate their work and talk to them. – Bantira smiled  
\- I guess I just don’t care about anything around me, except the mission. This is what drives me and you get distracted too much.  
\- I’m not distracted – she winked at her – I’m gathering information

After the tour guide and the local driver loaded the whole luggage they got on the big jeep car and headed towards straight to the desert. They left the paved road and started to drive through the sand, the car had extraordinary big wheels who were able to go through deep sand and rocks and they were all rocking at the back but also from the music and the singing that continued in the car.  
\- So is this the only rout you take the tourists – Nyssa was sitting next to the driver and asked him in her fluent Arabic  
\- Yeh, yeh – to see the canyon, the dinosaur head and sleep in a cave in the desert.   
\- And you never had any one missing – the man jumped a little a looked at her with the corner of his eye  
\- So you’ve heard the rumor?! – Nyssa squinted her eyes with a firm look, he was a simple man but knew he shouldn’t mess up with her  
\- It was the Arabic American fault. He said he grew up in the desert and even though he changed his name for an American he still felt Arab who grew up in the desert. He wanted to feel the atmosphere alone and said he can handle it. So we gave him some blankets, food and water and headed east from the place we are going to stop now. He said one night and then he will find his way back. We waited for him for 2 days, I’ve made a search party, no where to be found.  
\- Oh, well, don’t worry we are not that stupid tourists, we will follow you, out guide – she smiled at him and he calmed down. 

When they stopped it was near a canyon in the desert where the first part of the tour started. This desert was part of the sea once and there were sediments and fossils of shells and corals. Nyssa convinced the tour guide that she will make a tea for everyone before they head to the rock mountains and they lit a fire in the rocks, with couple of branches and dry leaves these men were specialists in surviving in the desert. When they drank the team they all fall asleep except Nyssa’s party. They gathered them in a shade and covered them with blankets.  
\- This is the direction where the driver said Walter took off  
\- So we will leave them just like that? – Damagh was hesitant  
\- This tea will make them sleep for couple of hours and disorientate a little bit, they won’t remember much about us but don’t worry, nothing will happen to them, now take out the electronic compass and lead the way, Damagh  
\- Better than killing them – joked Bantira  
They took their bag packs which contained everything necessary and headed east towards the direction the driver showed Nyssa. The sun was very bright and was burning their skins but when there was a wind it suddenly became cold, so they were constantly hit by hot and cold waves. They weren’t wearing their league clothes now, just a tourist attire: t-shirts and shorts with comfortable shoes.  
\- I wish I brought sunscreen – Damagh looked at Sara whose face also started to look red.  
Sara looked at him and smiled. The poor man has lived locked up long enough to forget what is nature. Just some months ago Sara was in the Siberian ice desert where the cold and white snow dominated and now she was in something that looked like a complete opposite but yet so alike.   
They traveled whole day and partly at night and rested for couple of hours. When the sun got hidden behind the horizon the temperature suddenly dropped and the wind became stronger, by the time the night was full the temperature difference was big and everyone put all their clothes on. The desert wasn’t forgiving and no one wanted to risk it no matter how trained they were. The wind was a traitor who was erasing any footsteps and it was difficult to guess the right direction but Nyssa had a good sense and knowledge of survival and was following her instincts. She led her group towards a rock mountain where there could have been caves for shelter from the wind. In the first one they saw traces of fire and plastic garbage from some snack and knew they were on right track. Some miles further they stumbled upon a Bedouin village near a well and got hope that their fugitive might be there. Nyssa saw a man all covered in white scarf to wander around and stopped him.  
\- What are you doing here? – the man started – Where is your guide? This is not a place for tourists – by that time all of them had covered their faces with scarfs so they won’t get burned from the sun and to protects themselves from the wind. But it wasn’t difficult to guess that they weren’t from around here.  
\- We are looking for a man. American from Arabic heritage. Have you seen him.  
\- I haven’t seen a man like that. I am looking for my kid. A boy.  
\- He disappeared in the desert?  
\- Couple of days ago, maybe a week. I told my wife, he is probably death. No one survives alone without food and water for long but she doesn’t want to listen. Her heart is breaking and mine watching her suffer. This kid was everything we had. – Nyssa looked at Sara and met her gaze full of compassion towards the man’s tragic  
\- We will find him – Maseo interrupted the conversation – I promise. Where did he go.   
\- He went to the other well couple of miles east but then never returned. He wanted to find a fox. He believed that there is a fox here and I’m afraid he got lost looking for her.

They parted with the man and headed east. In the well they found an empty bucket but yet no traces from the kid since the wind erases everything.   
\- We have to find him – Maseo sat on the ground with some kind of desperation and fatigue.  
\- Why did you promised him something that we can’t accomplish just to give him hope – Nyssa didn’t sounded pleased  
\- Well we are on a mission to search for lost man any way, so we can find the kid too  
\- But this kid is not our mission. If he went to search for the foxes, he probably went on the direction of the caves and we don’t know where Walter went.   
\- Ta-er al-Sahfer always changes the mission so she can save some one. We have to give this boy a chance  
\- Well something must have happened to Walter – Sara interrupted – He didn’t started to wander in the desert all by himself just like that. Maybe finding the boy might help us find him too.  
\- I agree with her – Bantira backed her up  
\- Ok then, we are heading toward the foxes caves. – Nyssa agreed

They reached them by night and found more traces of fireplace but this time it was bigger and it looked like more than one man were sleeping in the cave. Nyssa commanded to search the place thoroughly. The shade of the cave preserved more evidences of what happened. At least 3 men were in the cave and they found traces where they went to the toilette and where they slept. Two of them were carrying a gun which left slight ident on the ground. Maseo dug up a pile that looked like something was buried very carefully and they found bones of freshly eaten meat.   
\- Hey, I found something – he called the rest and they gathered around him  
\- There was a feast – Bantire noted – what do you think it was – she kneeled more closely and looked at the bones. It wasn’t from a whole body but they were big, a thought crawled her mind and she looked terrified towards Nyssa. Maseo caught that look and jumped back from where he was standing almost falling.  
\- No no no! This can’t be true! This is monstrous.   
\- I am sorry Sarab – Sara kneeled next to him – I knew you wanted to find him  
\- What on earth do you know – he shouted – You never lost anyone. – he turned around and distanced him self from the scene covering his face  
The others buried the bones again and looked at each other with confusion and awkward silence. Damagh was throwing up somewhere at the distance, they turned their backs to him so they won’t bother him but he jumped at them from behind  
\- I found something – it’s a cell phone, while I was throwing up. I’ll switch him to my battery and see what information it has.  
\- Good – said Nyssa. – We’ll make out camp here. They can’t be far away

In the night they all gathered around the fire except for Maseo. He was still distant and a lot more silent than before.  
\- What is bothering you Sarab – Bantira urged him to joined them – You can come and share  
\- Is this some League group therapy, or something – he said sarcastically  
\- No, we’ll forget everything you tell us after that, I promise  
\- I lost my son too, he was my whole life. His life was taken from an American too, a man who thought he can control the world and didn’t cared for anything. – he got silent for a while and then continued - I saw the pain in this men’s eyes and wanted so much to make it right for him. What are we supposed to tell him now. How is he going to face his wife – Maseo burst in to tears without feeling any shame  
\- When I was a little kid a lots my brother too – Bantira said – I was raised in a small African village and people there were starving. There were some white women from the red cross who were supposed to give us food, I heard one of them said that we are too many any way and if we don’t procreate like animals maybe we won’t die so often from hunger. I didn’t felt my brother was an animal though. Yeh sure my mother shouldn’t have had another child since we were too many so far, but I was taking care of him and I loved him.   
\- I had a sister too – Nyssa said – I don’t talk about her at all since she abandoned me, I was young and fresh in the League and she was my guiding light. She was older, smarter and very equipped. I wanted her to protect me, to shield me, but she left me alone with my father and to deal with the lessons of the League alone. People usually give too much meaning to their closed once, to the people around them, but you can’t have anything forever, life is not given to you to control it. You can create life and take it but you can’t control the life and the destiny of the others around you, and sooner or later everyone leaves and everything is temporary.   
\- When you make kids you don’t think of them as temporary Nyssa – Maseo argued, you give them everything  
\- Yes, but still when they got older they can choose their own path, leave you and you can’t control whether they will leave or die – Sara interrupted – This kid chose his path – to look for the foxes and left his parents to meet this frustrating end  
\- You weren’t thinking like that when Bikadima was eaten. You probably never lost anyone in your life – Maseo was furious  
\- I lost her, she was my friend, I lost my first childhood love – he died in the sea where I was found by the League, I lost my innocence, my self in this game of survival. – she looked down and a tear left her eye – I lost a lot  
\- I am sorry, I was harsh on you. I didn’t know Bikadima means so much to you  
\- I am sorry for your son Maseo. I truly am.   
\- You can’t live and not loose – Nyssa concluded – Let’s have some sleep like the poor Damagh. – the others obeyed but Sara crawled near Nyssa and hugged her  
\- Let’s go under the stars. I want to be alone with you for a while – Nyssa smiled at her and without saying anything took a blanket and a bottle of water and made her a sign to follow. They left the fire and the cave and found a smaller one near but a lot more open to the million stars sky. She spread the blanket and lay down while accommodating Sara next to her in a hug.  
\- You never talked about your sister. I told you so much about mine  
\- There is nothing to talk. People have expectations just because they think that their parents or siblings own them, they don’t. No one owns you anything. When you get together with someone is because of mutual benefit, you share things, you compliment each other, everyone is searching for something and there is no selfless love. I hated her so much for leaving me that I forgot whether there is a difference between hate and indifference. But now I have you, you are my half and make me whole and not feeling alone in this world and I will never let you go – Nyssa was watching the stars while she was talking but then she turned to Sara and looked her in the eyes – Do you hear me? I will never let you go  
\- I hear you – Sara smiled and kissed her. She closed her eyes and squeezed her head in the space between Nyssa’s neck and shoulder. “ Let her down on the last mission and the one before, I have to make her proud”


	22. Chapter 22

Maseo was first to wake up. The morning was still chili but the sun was starting to get born, looking like a big orange crawling in the sky spreading it’s juices. He noticed that Damagh was awake watching the cell phone he found near the fire. He got near him and his shadow fell over the man totally consumed from the phone.  
\- Gosh, you startled me – Damagh jumped  
\- What did you found?  
\- An organization called freeArabOil attacked Brukman. He got kidnaped from them apparently not happy with his deals but from what I see from the gps they all got lost in the desert. They are tree of them, here I found a picture and if I’m right these are the kidnapers – he pointed the phone to Maseo  
\- Where do you think they went now?  
\- There are notes on the phone that they search for some camp near here but apparently they don’t know where exactly it is. But the place they marked are with these coordinates. – Maseo glanced the phone, took out a knife and pointed it at Damagh throat  
\- Good! Now we are going there, leave the rest – Damagh just swallowed looked around nervously seeing how the others are still sleeping and nodded – Just don’t make a sound or I will cut you open. Move!

Maseo already has packed and Damagh just followed him totally numb. When the others got up the sun has already fully grown out of the completely even horizon and was sending nice rays on their faces. Bantira woke up to find herself alone but she quickly found Nyssa and Sara cuddling in the adjacent cave. But she didn’t found Maseo and Damagn and that urged her to kick Nyssa to wake up quickly. Nyssa jumped on her feet without warning and like a program Sara after her.  
\- What is it?  
\- Sarab and Damagn are missing – Bantira said calmly but it was obvious it was urgent – He took his stuff, it seems Damagh only took the phone he found yesterday and all of his things are here.  
Nyssa looked around and found there traces.   
\- They are still fresh – she pointed out – They went to that direction – she walked outside of the cave and circled the rock mountain. On the other side there was a smoke coming from a place not very far but at least couple of hours. The ground was very even and it was visible but only from this part of the mountain. – We have to check what is going on there, but Sarab when the opposite direction. We have to get him back and be sure he won’t do anything stupid  
\- You mean, not kill Brukman for eating that boy – Sara said sarcastically  
\- He was emotional and he is probably out of control. We need Brukman alive, that is the mission  
\- So we have to save a man who deserves to die. Let Sarab kill him, no one will find out anyway.- Nyssa looked at her with the most stern and serious look  
\- You will go and find Sarab while we with Bantira will check where the smoke is coming from. I hope you will do the right thing Ta-er al-Sahfer. – Nyssa turned her back on Sara and packed her stuff in silence. They headed towards the opposite direction and Sara was left completely alone.  
\- Why did you left Ta-er al-Sahfer with that mission. She does what she wants, she will never do it the right way – Bantira argued  
\- I trust her, and that’s the best way to be tested. Besides sometimes doing whatever you want doesn’t necessary means the wrong choice  
\- She slaughter the man in the Indian village for giving Bikadima to the tigers, how is this different – Nyssa looked at her with astonishment and a hint of pride  
\- She did? Well good for her, but this time it’s different, maybe she has learned her lesson and we’ve talked about her controlling her emotions  
\- It’s like you are proud of her – she paused – well yeh I understand, she finally let go of her guild and fear to kill but I thought you like exactly the opposite of her  
\- I hope you are not bitter that me and you didn’t worked out and now I am with her, Bantira?  
\- Of course not! Where did this came from – she shook her head but then continued more timidly – well I understand that you found in her something that I was not, and that’s all right, I was never a relationship type of person anyway.  
\- That’s right, we are both damaged, in a different way but still damaged. And we both help each other be a better version of ourselves, better leaders. When I found Sara she already had enough darkness in her, she didn’t hesitated to kill when I ordered her whether it was out of fear or ability to obey someone stronger, but when she is allowed to over think it she is always confused with her moral grounds and emotions. What I thought her is to control this emotions and use her darkness in the best way  
\- You are a great leader Nyssa, she has to prove herself  
\- That’s why I gave her this mission. And you are not right about me. I still live in the shadow of my father, maybe someday I’ll be strong enough to conquer this fear and outlive him.

Sara stayed for couple of seconds starring at the horizon, so vast and even with ripples covering the smooth surface of the sand, like a silk gown spread on the entire earth. The two figures were getting distant with every step and she felt the loneliness suffocate her a little but she shook of the grip very fast, being alone in the desert might be scary put she already got used to be alone with herself. The lack of life and motion here made things even more intense, but Sara didn’t needed anyone to make herself feel complete, she knew how to manage things by herself. She already have watched Nyssa follow the search in the desert and knew how to proceed. She put on her scarf to protect her head, took her bag and slip a small drop of water in her mouth. She had to save it. The steps were already fresh and she followed them. After a couple of hours and the sun already became merciless, Sara wanted to have another drop of water but she knew she shouldn’t waste. She found some more bones scattered in the sand and knew she is on the right direction. When the night was started to fall she reach another rock mountains and entered into their shadow. She stopped to put more clothes on when she noticed someone creeping on her from behind. With one quick turn and pulling out her knife she knocked down the man behind her. He fell on his back and Sara stood on top of him with her knife on his throat. He was wearing camouflage clothes for the desert, very comfortable pants and a jacket in a beige and a scarf on his head. He was looking scared, exhausted and on a verge of hysteria.   
\- Please, lady don’t kill me – he spoke on Arabic – Sara recognized one of the man from the organization Damagh showed them.   
\- What are you doing here? Where are the others? Where is Brukman? – she almost screamed in his head  
\- We got separated. We though we will have a better chance to find our camp.  
\- Where did you last saw them? – she demanded   
\- Please, I am dying of hunger  
\- Didn’t you drank that poor boy’s blood, you miscreant – Sara was watching him with discussed  
\- It wasn’t my idea, it was Brukman’s, he wanted to survive, we got lost and walked on circles for days.  
\- Move!  
She didn’t gave him a rest and they proceeded towards a direction where he was coming from. After couple of hours they reached the camp which the man has left last. There was a body lying on the sand and the man recognized his buddy. He was killed with rocks on the head and his body was left on the mercy of the wind and the sand with wide open eyes. He looked exhausted and dehydrated. Sara kneeled to check the body, his temperature and how recent it is, she got occupied checking his missing knife on the belt, when she noticed that something is moving behind her, she turned around but she got attacked from one direction with a stone flying toward her head which she escaped rolling over but the knife who came from the other direction cut her. The attacker felt a little confused by her agility but he has a crazy self contained smile on his face with bulging eyes. Sara got up on her feet and the man tried to stab her but she escaped all his attempts, then managed to grab his hand holding the knife, kicked him on the ankle, twisted his arm, taking the knife and pushed him towards the rock while putting the knife on his throat. The man’s face was covered in blood and dust but she recognized Brukman who still had the crazy smile on his face, licking his lips.  
\- Wow, you are beautiful – Sara got closer to his face and put on her cold killer look on  
\- I am also the one who will cut you in to pieces and feed them to you  
\- Do it – Maseo appeared from the corner and shouted. It looked like they were fighting and he was also hurt – Do it  
\- No no, lady, you don’t understand – Brukman started now more sanely – I am the victim here. These men tried to kill me, they kidnaped me and hold me as a hostage for days  
\- And I regret that now – the remaining alive kidnaper interrupted, observing everything from a distance – This man is the devil in every account  
\- I was trying to survive – he shouted spitting blood and saliva from his teeth – These nen didn’t know what they want and what they were doing, what I was suppose to do? Let them drag me through this desert for days till I die of hunger and thirst.   
\- This still doesn’t give you the right to take an innocent boys life. Kill him – all the men were shouting angrily and crazily with disdain towards each other. Sara was holding tightly Brukman pressed on the rock and just looking from face to face feeling the hate with her skin  
\- He was lost, like us, he would have died anyway, here the strongest survive  
Maseo threw himself towards Sara and grabbed her hand from behind with which she was holding the knife. Her other hand was free though. She knocked Brukman out with one firm hit on his through which made him pass out and tried free herself from Maseo’s grip but he was holding her tight.  
\- Sarab, let this go, you can let it go – but he wasn’t realizing the grip and was struggling to knock her out. With couple of hits with her elbow to his solar plexus and she was free and turned around to face him. Brukman remained behind her and she was guarding him with her body. The other guy escaped, and it was just her and Maseo now – I know how you feeling, I do, I was there, but you have to control you feelings, you are member of the League of assassins – he was looking at her like an angry bull and wasn’t listening, he was trying to hit her and she escaping his blows until they engaged in a hand to hand fight in which she was trying to keep her position protecting Brukman. – Look, he will pay for what he did, I am sure! Just not now! – she was trying to reason him and fight him at the same time but the exhaustion and the blood streaming from her cut wound were making everything harder. Maseo was cut too and she tried to hit his wound twice. He swing a little on his feet and Sara took the moment with one jump using the rock as a support the climbed over his neck and knocked him on the ground, getting on top of him with her legs around his neck. Maseo burst into tears  
\- Kill me, kill me please  
\- I can’t I am sorry – she let him go but was vigilant  
\- The pain will never go away, does it  
\- I don’t know, I don’t know- she bent over him and tears started slipping her eyes like a leaky envelope.  
\- But it will be ok now, we are together and we will go through this as a whole since we a part of something – Damagh has crawled out of the cave and trembling approached.


	23. Chapter 23

Nyssa and Bantira reached a small camp near an oasis in the desert. The smoke was signal fire but the location of the camp made it visible just from some locations on the west and north. The camp comprised of dozen of men with machine guns, tents, ammunitions, a well and provisions. The men looked anxious and were checking the horizon regularly. Both Nyssa and Bantira nodded at each other, they realized they found the camp of the organization that was after Brukman. They made a good cover and themselves comfortable and waited. After couple of hours two man come from the desert, it looked like the one is supporting the other. Nyssa took out her binoculars. The supported man looked like he was days in the desert, slim, exhausted and hurt. The other was well equipped and was taking hi further in the camp. A man who appeared to be the leader approached them and they talked about something. The hurt man was very anxious and worried despite him being tired. The leader wasn’t pleased by the delivered news and organized the men. Nyssa lip synced some words.   
\- I think Sara got Brukman but left this man go. He knows where they are, apparently not so far from here but on the opposite side of the mountain. They will go after them. We have to stop them! Put on your league attire. We will just disarm them.  
\- Yes princess – Bantira bowed

While the other men prepared Nyssa and Bantira prepared too. They came from their blind spot from two different directions when the men were leaving the camp. Nyssa attacked them from upfront while Bantira from behind. They used the element of surprise and both used truncheons to disarm the men before they are able to fire. With one hit Nyssa took of the gun with another knocked them out. The men behind started shooting at her but she escaped the bullets by rolling over and kicking them on their knees and ankles from below, then again hit them with her truncheon and knocked them out. Bantira was backing her surprising them from behind. In couple of minutes they all were on the ground. Nyssa grabbed the man that came from the desert and with no difficulties extracted the information where Brukman is.  
Sara was feeling the cold stone walls surrounding her and the dim lighting, she was squinting and seeing the candles as flickering angles appearing from all sides to forgive her sins or at least she hoped so. The League priestess was chanting something and her monotonous voice was filling the air but Sara wasn’t listening to her, she completely closed her eyes and now the desert appeared in front of her, clear with all her majestic view – the vast even land covered with yellow sand and orange rocks till the end of the horizon with not a single tree, a drop of water or any visible animal, like she has never left it, she even felt the warmth of the air, burning her face and the smell of the dust and sand from the wind. Some screams brought her back to reality. The men around her were cheering and she looked around. Ra’s Al Ghul was approaching her.  
\- Ta-er al-Sahfer and Sarab you earned the right to be leaders and have your own team. – Sara looked into his eyes, he was watching directly in to hers too and she saw nothing, just a complete confidence and severity with no emotions, no compassion or kindness, not even pride like he was saying, they were completely empty. But this emptiness was honest and she wasn’t scared from it or turned off, she continued to look in to them and to listen to his words of honoring her. She remembered like some months ago he was torturing her and teaching her how to torture, at that moment she was thinking that he is the devil and now she was receiving praises from him.  
The ceremony of rewarding Nyssa, Bantira, Sarab and Ta-er al-Sahfer finished and they left the main chamber.  
\- I am proud of you – Nyssa said – I know it was hard on you but you did the right thing. Brukman is back to America there he is safe and the only thing he will eat is hamburgers – Sara laughed very sincerely   
\- And I am proud of you – Nyssa looked at her with curiosity – the man from Free Arab Oil are also alive and while they will probably never think of kidnaping anyone, will continue to fight for what they believe is right.   
\- That’s right we make a great team – she kissed her tenderly and they walked away.


End file.
